Megaman Double Network 4: Corrupted Sickness
by Ghost 501
Summary: It's been a year and a half since the last CHAOS outbreak. Seemingly, a time of peace was entered. However, the thoughts of an anniversary begins to loom over everyone. A 21 year old shadow of the past attempts to destroy one of the greatest heroes in Net history. The question is...can you cure a sickness which has become corrupted?
1. Chapter 1

Ghost: *gets thrown back into studio half beaten up* *gets up and dusts self off* Yeah and...ah forget there's too many of you for this to be an even fight. S'what I get for giving most of the OCs that would side with me deleted. Well folks, it's about that time again... *dodges fan thrown objects* Meep! Stop, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! If it makes you all feel any better, the DN cast already ganged up on me so revenge has been served (especially since Bass is in this, he was _really _upset). Anypanel, Double Network is back and more dramatic than ever! ...Wait...*checks note card*...I've got to fire the person who made this...oh wait..."PS Ghost is an idiot." BASS! Grr...anyway while I now go handle this, enjoy _**Megaman Double Network 4: Corrupted**_** Sickness**!

* * *

**Day 0 – Partnership?**

Void flinched as he tried to suppress the latest memory of Dawn from his mind. To say that the woman wasn't becoming obsessed would have been the biggest lie he had ever heard. He could have sworn that hand was fused with that locket around her neck. Just what the heck was so important to her that she kept on grabbing at it? Especially after the events of the dark navi some time back, she had seemed to be even more off than normal.

The red navi rolled his eyes as he continued to wait. It was somewhat strange to be waiting on someone; the only persons who knew of his existence on the Net were Dawn, Mortis, and Bass. Bass had already declared Void unfit for battle after his fight with Colonel a year and a half ago. From there, things just started to get worse and worse for CHAOS.

Dawn had tried to create different navis that would be able to be assimilated, but none of them worked for very long and were reasonably weak. The more she failed, the more obsessed she became at it. Something had thrown her off her rhythm. She kept on talking about some kind of anniversary like it was a hovering deadline for her. Void sighed; in the end, he couldn't really blame her for things not going to plan. She wasn't a navi specialist. A computer scientist yes, but not a navi designer. Void considered it a miracle that he was still functioning and loyal to the woman after all this time. Unlike some other navis, including his prototype, he knew.

Mortis still roamed the Net, but Void knew he was running out of time. Ever since his attack on Megaman and Roll, the navi had been hunted with prejudice and had narrowly escaped capture quite a number of times. The whole Net knew about his ugly mug. He had a lot more trouble now trying to revive his ghost "army". And although Mortis would have done so if he could by now, he wondered whether or not Mortis would consider a force of darkness. The thought caused him to wonder just what made Dawn so unnerved about the dark souls. It wasn't like she was afraid of them, but maybe a bit…angry? He knew she didn't trust her, but Dawn had gone on a tiny tangent after Mortis took Dark Roll away. As his mind continued to clutter with the uncertainties of his NetOp, a voice called out to him.

"Depressed, Void?" the chained navi asked as he came into view.

Void wasn't surprised to see him; he was the one he was waiting on, "Not at all, Mortis." The red navi stood up, looking at his enemy with cold eyes, "I'm surprised you came…not that I don't see your little friend trying to hide himself."

"He's not trying to hide. Just a little insurance. If you even think about trying to get closer than you already are, my little friend over there will not refuse to burn you to a crisp," Mortis smirked.

"Yes, you have been favoring the fire navis recently," Void growled. It wasn't like he could really do anything. The only attacks he still had was Void Hold, Void Held, and Void Hole. Since the revelation of his weak battle design had been revealed, Dawn had stripped him of all his extra abilities since they were mediocre for her plans. Which meant that, currently, Mortis held the cards. Void couldn't do anything even if he wanted to—and he really wanted to. Even if he attacked, he would have no idea if he was standing on a graveyard. He probably was since Mortis would only meet with him if he suggested the spot.

"So, why have you bothered calling me? Didn't your defeat last summer teach you anything? Or…are you accepting my offer of a quick deletion?" Mortis gazed as the red navi in front of him. He had been wrong several months ago; Crashman's rash behavior was still within Void. The navi had attempted to attack him on sight last year, but was quickly brought down by Elementman…who was deleted by Megaman a week later. Blue devil.

"No…I came to let you know of a new venture. Something Dawn will be unable to do anything about," Void started. He would need to choose his words right. Not enough to make him suspect anything, but just enough to make him believe.

"Oh please. I'm sure…oh what's the pink one's name…Bread or something could lie better than you," Mortis rolled his eyes and waved his hand. Out of the shadows, Burnerman walked out of the shadows, "Maybe now would be a good time just delete you once and for all. At least I'll have one less annoyance to deal with."

"If you do that, you'll never have another chance to get the access codes for SciLab's latest venture," Void said, clearly unafraid of the other red navi in the area. Burnerman was probably hot headed and more likely ready to attack, but Mortis would kill him here. If he was going to do that, he wouldn't have bothered showing himself. He was a cowardly strategist that way.

Mortis sputtered, generally confused at the change in conversation, "What codes? What are you going on about? Don't tell me you logic programming is finally failing."

"SciLab is recently taken up a new project. Something that will revolutionize the world. While they're busy, they're going to be readmitting new people and giving access cards. All I need to do is take one of the codes while they're being generated. I give you the code and you do whatever the hell you want with it."

"And what's to convince me that this isn't some elaborate trap on your part?" Mortis's eyes narrowed. This was too good of an opportunity. Did the two honestly thought he had gone mad in the Net? He wasn't stupid enough to fall for this.

Void shrugged, "Because what the hell would I what to do with a new PET system? Dawn's already tried the wireless thing."

"Which was intended to fail. All she wanted was Megaman's navi data and she got it. If she wanted to try again, we both know she could." Mortis countered, though in the back of his mind he was already making plans to see just what that science center was up to.

"Doesn't matter. The point is that the Transer system will allow humans to fight alongside their navis with better battle chips. You've already ticked off Megaman and Roll, especially with your last greatest stunt. Do you want to see what their operators are like?" Void said sneering. In truth, he didn't like the idea any more than any other independent navi. Despite being a dependent navi, he often worked alone and the most involvement Dawn had was giving chips. The Transer system would take away what little individuality from humans they had, "And before you say more navis will save you, I think you would like to look at this document." Void threw over a yellow data block.

As Mortis scanned it, his eyes widened, "And you're sure this is real?"

"If you break into SciLab, you not only destroy the data of the Transer project, but you can also get to the Navi Project files. He's a SciLab navi like a lot of navis are. Find the files containing his background and discover his weakness. Getting those codes are the key to take care of that blue menace…permanently. So you hate Megaman. I hate Megaman…we have a deal?"

* * *

Ghost: Oh, and the results of the Merge contest are on my profile in case anyone was wondering... OH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DN! You're now officially 1 year old!

Update: Monday (don't kill me this will be the last 1 chp update for a little while since much of DN4 as of right now is 2 parters.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Favoriters/Followers: **ShadowDusk94, FeralBass, AsoenixKnight, ryubimaru

**Review Responses:**

**ShadowDusk94:** There's going to be a couple of SF references in this one so that's not the last of it. Since DN is still a "prequel" to SF, it's also be going through some new things as the concept of EM Wave technology begins to take a stronger hold in the science community. And since they're no dates, this new system is allowed to be called the same thing but still be a working model. Repetitive yes, but SciLab just has so much stuff in it that it's kinda hard to not go there for important documents regarding their own projects.

**terratasha:** That just reminded me of a song. XD Anyway, yep yep! Back into the spiral we know as DN with everyone and their feels.

**flaming skystar:** A new adventure has indeed begun. And you don't have to wait anymore...on second thought you still would have to wait since this is only part one. XD

* * *

**Day 1 Part 1 – You Look Familiar…**

"Um, Megaman my records indicate that you already have that chip. Lan purchased it from Higsby a month ago," Numberman said as the green navi turned back to face the blue one, "Are you sure you want an extra copy?"

"Already own it, huh? I guess Lan made a mistake then. Well, is there any other chip that you have that I don't?" Megaman asked. Just great. What a wonderful way to bring his errands to a screeching halt. He sighed internally; where were the days when Lan had the time to buy his own battle chips?

"Uh, no. Actually, Lan came by earlier today and bought some items earlier. Let me check that list of yours," the green navi looked at the data document that Megaman had given him and nodded as he checked off each item that had been already bought, "Well that's strange. Lan bought all these items earlier today. Sorry, Megaman."

"That's okay, Numberman. I'll see you later," Megaman said as he left the Higsby Shop PC. The navi huffed as he entered the Town Area network.

That was unexpected…and extremely annoying! He didn't need to be doing these errands that Lan clearly had the time for, but not the courtesy to let him know that he had everything under control. _'I'm going to give him an earful when I get to him.'_ Megaan thought as he dashed back to SciLab. It wasn't that he minded doing things for his brother, but more or less the fact that he really had better things to do.

Ever since before freshman year, Lan had had an internship at SciLab every summer. This year was no different. Of course, this meant that they had less free time during the summer, but the duo managed. Plus, it wasn't like they were completely separated from life. The two still had plenty of time to hang out with their friends, though the circle had dwindled from three to two.

Yai had stayed in Creamland this summer. Something about working with her father to create a new base of operations there. Surprisingly, the blonde girl had actually fallen in love with the continent. The young soon to be CEO was actually eager to start living there one day; though she did say she would drop in on her estate still in ACDC every once and a while. Lan wasn't sure if Dex was coming home either; he hadn't seem to sure when he had called him a month ago. He had wanted to go visit Chisao and his father in Netopia recently and had probably gone there for the summer. Meanwhile, Mayl and Saria still were around trying to fill the gaps of time that they had, which is what Megaman should have been doing with Roll right about now.

Megaman increased his pace. The sooner he checked back in, the faster he could get back to finishing this day. The weekend was coming up and he was looking forward to a chance that didn't involve clearing junk data. The project that they had gotten on had come to a close rather early and they were assigned the duty of getting rid of all the loose ends in the code. Sometimes there were viruses and sometimes it was just data. It was still however, annoying after the umpteenth "harmless" data packaging. It didn't take him too long to reach his destination. The net areas themselves were relatively close to one another. The navi stepped out of the teleport and into his dad's comp space. Lan had told him that he would be meeting with his father right about now. Apparently, he had something to tell them regarding their work this summer.

"Hey dad," Megaman said softly, trying not to disturb the man. Dr. Hikari jumped; he had been so engrossed in his code that he had failed to see Megaman come in.

"Oh, Hub! You startled me," the scientist said as he turned to his son, greeting him with a smile.

"Sorry," Megaman looked around the room confused as he noticed someone was missing, "Where's Lan? Weren't you going to tell us something today?" The blue navi asked.

Dr. Hikari shook his head, "Not today. We're meeting after the weekend. In fact, Lan checked out early today. Said there was something he needed to set up back at home."

"Of course he did…" Megaman sighed. Should have guessed that one.

"Sorry, son. That's all I know," Dr. Hikari said.

Megaman shook his head, signaling that it was no fault of his father's, "Okay, well thanks. Now I've got to chew out my brother about making me do errands I don't need to do." Megaman waved goodbye and headed back out to the Net. All this extra running around was really beginning to irritate him.

Dr. Hikari merely chuckled as his son left. Lan had said that he had wanted this to be a surprise. The doctor shook his head and continued with his work. Those two were always getting into something.

* * *

Mortis paced around in an abandoned PC space. The Soul Net space was now a dead product. It had only one way to get into the network and only one functioning terminal left. A small base to the side of the Nebula island had been used for communications long before Nebula had moved in. They had apparently forgotten to take everything before they left.

Why would Void present him with such an opportunity? They were enemies; they hadn't been…acquaintances for about a year or two now. Mortis turned to the side and looked at Burnerman, who was actually sitting quietly. Then again, the reviver had threatened to download a couple dark chips into him and watch as his code collapsed under the pressure. But, that probably only had a minimal impact to do with it.

His fist clenched. He didn't want to accept the offer. There was too little chance for Void to fail and so much chance for him to. It was a trap; it had to be. However, this would be the only sure fire way to finish the blue bomber once and for all. The chained navi had harbored a grudge against Megaman and Lan since they dismantled his first plan to take over. Since then, the NetOp and Navi team had been destroying every navi he had revived. To make matters worse, Mayl and her navi had jumped in. He could still feel that puny navi's arrow in him.

He had learned to hate the colors pink and purple ever since she had been freed from his programs, rejected her dark soul, and shot arrows at him. Especially the bugs. His programs were outdated and failed to stop some of the newer versions. The navi growled as he remembered the last time he was hit with a Flame Arrow. He couldn't walk right for a week after that. The navi turned his gaze to Burnerman, who stood there waiting for his future orders. No more dark souls. Unreliable, corrupt little heathens they were. Dark Roll and Null had taught him that much. That navi had thought too much of herself, walking around like some kind of empress when he was the one in control of her and had given her freedom.

"What are you standing around for! Go get me the blue navi's head," Mortis growled at the red navi. As he left, the chained navi blew a breath. Void was throwing him off. This sudden _partnership_. Mortis closed his eyes and all he could see was blue. As he snapped them open, he noticed a Snakeegg virus slithering around.

"Grave Stake!" a dark spike like tower ejected from the ground and deleted the virus instantly. If only Megaman was that easy. Mortis growled as he accepted his fate. Megaman could be that easy. He just needed the proper…work around.

* * *

Megaman could feel his eye twitching. Apparently, today was mess with Hub day because Lan had sent him an email instructing him to jump into the copybot shortly after he left the SciLab network. However, there was only one problem...he couldn't without Lan jacking him in! As Megaman jumped back into his homepage, he could begin to feel his annoyance peak. Lan better have a good reason for making him run all over the Net so unnecessarily.

"Oh Megaman! You're back!" a Mr. Program said happily. Wait? A Mr. Program?

"Um…what are you doing here?" Megaman asked. The only time Lan and Megaman had ever had a Mr. Program in their PC was when they lived in Cyber City. After that, the two had gone back to the good old days without little green guys that annoyed him in his sleeping area.

"Oh, I'm just here to install you copybot link. Your NetOp was very specific when he said for me to wait for you. But..." the little program trailed off, obviously embarrassed.

Megaman rolled his eyes, "You installed it anyway?"

"I couldn't help myself. I love links! I love putting them on people's PCs. It's amazing! And they are so shiny when you place the mat down on the ground! It's so glorious! I guess you wouldn't understand because you're a navi. But it's what I live for!" the Mr. Program took in a deep breath to make up for the apparent loss of air he suffered for his impromptu speech, "Anyway, the link is right over there so feel free to jump into to your copybot whenever you're ready." The green program said as he jacked out. Probably off to fulfill his need to put links on some other part of the Net. Megaman sighed as he looked at the link in front of him.

As he looked at the "mat" with his symbol on it, he began to wonder about the link itself. Since when did he need one of these to get into the copybot? Megaman walked onto the link, somewhat confused as he jacked into his copybot. He had become even more shocked as he saw the human world.

As Megaman looked over himself, he realized that his conversion had done something different this time. Now, he was wearing actual human clothes as opposed to his navi bodysuit. His outfit was a blue t-shirt with his navi symbol on the middle of it, a pair of blue jeans, and a black windbreaker. The humanoid navi put a hand on his head…and then did it again. His helmet was gone! But he didn't remember taking it off before he jumped in. Megaman closed his eyes and did an information scan on the machine he was in.

OH! Now it made sense! Lan had upgraded the copybot. He had remembered seeing a commercial use bot that was going to be released to the public later on this month. But that was only going to have the customizations of the previous model Lan had had. So…what was going on? With his previous annoyance forgotten by a need to figure out what was going on, Megaman decided to go look or his brother.

"Lan?" Hub called out as he left the bedroom. As he went outside, he noticed Mayl and Lan making some small talk with another girl on the couch. Her face was turned away from him, so he couldn't tell who it was. Though he could see her blonde hair underneath her green beanie on her head. Still though, the mystery of the girl and copybot could be solved at the same time.

"Lan? What's going on? When'd you upgrade? And who are you two talking to?" Hub asked as his brother smirked. This had happened better than expected.

"Oh, we just decided to surprise you with the newest stable model of the copybot that SciLab has. Upgraded um…about four hours ago. And we're talking to Roll." Lan rattled off; it wasn't often that he got the upper hand on his brother. It was nice to shock him every once and a while.

The girl turned around and looked at him with green eyes, "Hi, Mega!" She said happily as Mayl laughed at the navi's face. What Lan had said had probably just hit him and then seeing Roll actually in person only confirmed what Lan said was true and then caused his thought process to stop because he didn't know Mayl had a copybot.

"Roll!" Hub finally said when he finally wrapped his head around things. To be fair, he had never seen her look so…human. Sure she had taken her helmet off, but she was always…well Roll. Now, she was wearing a pink t-shirt, black jeans, and a light green beanie in place of her helmet. Still, it was a bit to take in all at one time.

"SciLab's been doing a lot more work into copybots than they like saying. Fortunately, Mr. Boreal decided to let me have two since they were making the copybot commercial by the end of the year and for our help on his project. The great part is that no one has to know. You both look like a couple of twenty-year old humans!" Lan said excitedly.

Mayl giggled as Roll got up, "Sorry about the run around, Megaman. It was my idea. Lan was going to call you, but then I thought it would be nice to make it a surprise." The red haired woman confessed.

"So…what do you think?" Roll asked.

"Well…I take back the comments about my brother being a rude idiot and Mayl is an evil mastermind in disguise," Hub said as he gave his girlfriend a hug, "But you guys got me. Plus, it's a great surprise."

"The new copybots only have enough juice to go for about four hours after they're full charged. These are functional, but there are areas they can be improved in." Lan started.

"Let me guess, Roll and I are a test group?" Hub said, finishing his thought.

"Hey it was the only way Mr. Boreal would let me have these things. We get the copybots for free and all you two have to do is tell him what you two think of them at the end of the summer," Lan explained, "But you two can't go around town in them just yet. They haven't been charged and…" Conveniently, the wrists of both copybots lit up with a slight glow of their respective main colors, "They're running low on power. When that happens, it'll shut down and if you two are still in them, you'll have to wait until they're being charged in order to leave them." Lan said as the three walked back into the room.

The two navis nodded and rather than being subject to a boring prison, Megaman and Roll jacked out of their copybots and both landed on their links in their respective PCs. In a few minutes, Roll had come back into the Hikari's PC where Megaman had been waiting.

Lan looked at both navis, "Well I don't know about you two, but I'm going to go with Mayl to that new place that opened up in Town District. They're supposed to be pretty good and she's been wanting to go for a while."

Megaman shook his head, "We'll find something to do. Go on ahead and call if you need anything." His brother nodded as he grabbed his PET and exited his room.

"So, since we can't use the copybots, you want to just head over to Green Area? There's nothing really much else to do." Roll asked as the blue navi turned to her.

Megaman moved aside and put his arms to the side, pointing towards his link to the network, "Lead the way."

* * *

Ghost: And thus the romance shenanigans have continued! But the real question is how long everything will be so light hearted. Mwahahahaha...I think I'm still coming off of the Dark Ghost take over from _**Disconnect**. _Um...I'm just going to go now...Ghost501 logging out.

Update: Friday


	3. Chapter 3

**Favoriters/Followers: **srb2adx, terratasha

**Review Responses:**

**True-inTha-Blue:** I'm sure it'll lead to something...uh...special...heheheheh...I'm just going to go find a spot in this story to edit. XD

**terratasha:** Eh, prototypes. Whad'ya gonna do? XD (Though seriously, can I have that for my phone it dies like crazy fast nowadays). Hehheheh...alright I got pegged by two people time to fess up. I kinda added the copybot thing because I remembered that I had forgotten about them and they were a recent development so I felt like it needed some love. But I really hadn't planned to use it because I had something more devious in mind. Sorry, guess I'm still somewhat getting back into the game of writing. Couple months off kills. XP.

**Flaming skystar:** Welp, here it is.

* * *

**Day 1 Part 2 – Ashes Upon Ashes**

"A lot's happened to us…hasn't it?" Roll asked, as the navi couple sat under the huge tree in the center of Green Area 2. The scientist who worked on this area in the Net had finally patched the hole that lead to the Undernet. Now, it was a nice little spot for people to just relax under on lazy days in the Net. The two had decided rather than to waste time walking around the Network, especially since all the lawyers were out today, they would just take a moment underneath the large tree.

"That's an understatement," Megaman said as the pink navi laughed softly.

"You know what I meant," Roll said, her head on his shoulder, "It's just that I guess I can't help but think what happens next. I mean, first it was you and Lan saving the world six times. Then there was my meltdown and now all this stuff with CHAOS. I guess a small part of me just wonders how does this all fit in someone's lifetime."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Megaman said as he looked out at the area around him, "But then again, if we didn't go through all those events...well then the world we live in may have become very different. I mean, imagine a world that I was still human. Wily would have never been stopped and life on the Net would be gone as we know it. Or perhaps Duo would have judged this planet and destroyed everything."

The blue navi took a sigh, "The point is that perhaps the reason why our lives are this way is because we're meant to. That if anyone else tried, some strange and wrong form of our world would currently exist. Maybe, despite it all, this is the best thing that could have happened."

"You sound like you've thought about this a lot," Roll noted.

The blue navi nodded, "Heh, I've had years to drown in the topic. So far, it's the only answer I come up with that either doesn't depress or unnerve me."

However he cocked an eyebrow as she turned to him, "Would you change anything if you could?"

Megaman was slightly taken aback, before he smiled at the pink navi, "Nope, like I've said I've more or less come to peace about the topic. I don't completely like it, but it is what it is. And besides, I actually like my life. I was kinda scared of it at first," the pink navi looked up at him with disbelieving eyes, "Okay, I freaked out and was scared. It was weird, being a human soul in this digital world. But, I grew to love being a navi. Especially since there were so many nice navis around."

"Anyone in particular?"

"Well…there was Gutsman, Glyde, Protoman on some level after I got to know him, and there was someone else. Who was it again…? Oh yeah, there was this pink navi that kept on stalking me," Megaman joked.

Roll didn't even blush as she rolled her eyes, "I did not stalk you! If anything, you were stalking me!"

"You were always asking me to play tag with you."

"You were always coming over to talk!"

"You always came by to hand deliver emails." The blue navi smirked.

"I was making sure that Lan got Mayl's messages!" Roll said, "Besides, what about that time you used my double soul for a week?"

"Lan didn't remember to update the folder!"

"And you couldn't remind him?"

"You know what he was like when he was eleven!"

"Point taken…but," Roll looked up at him with a glint in her eyes, "Couldn't you have just changed the folder yourself?"

"Yeah…well…um…" Megaman blinked for a second, suddenly out of ammo.

Roll smirked, "Got ya."

"Yeah, well…" Before he could come up with a retort a scream broke the conversation.

"HELP! SOMEONE'S TRYING TO LIGHT THE AREA ON FIRE!" a navi screamed as he ran out of Green Area 1.

The two navis sighed. Never could have much of a moment to themselves could they? They contacted their NetOps, who were in the middle of their own date, and made a break for Green Area 1. Really couldn't someone decide to attack a few minutes later?

* * *

"Burnerman, why am I not surprised?" Megaman said as they slowed to a stop. The red navi turned wildly over at them. He had been blazing a path—literally—cutting off all the outside exits into Green Area and had been about to head to the second area right before he was caught by the exact people he had been told to delete. What luck!

"Mortis is getting kinda desperate isn't he?" Roll sneered. She hadn't been very fond of the chained navi ever since he had forced a dark soul into her systems a year and a half ago. Him teaming up with Null hadn't been too much of an enjoyable experience either. She could still feel Dark Roll sleeping in her programming. At least that was all she was doing.

"Let's just take care of this guy," Lan said, annoyed.

"Roll, Battle Routine, Set!" Mayl said

"Megaman, Battle Routine, Set!"

"Execute!"

* * *

"Bug Unison! Glacia Merge!" Roll's orange merge took form as she tossed the green scarf behind her.

"Beast Out! Cannon! Super Vulcan! Download!" Megaman's bodysuit changed into his Gregar beast out form and the navi readied his weapon.

The red navi smirked, looking at the orange navi. What could an eskimo do to him? Though that beast navi would take some time to whittle down to kindling. "Cross Burn!" Burnerman yelled as two canisters rolled down the field and his buster started spewing flames.

Roll jumped back, she wouldn't be able to use her Freeze Doom as long as her Bug Unison was active. Megaman however, took the brunt of the attack; his Super Armor protecting him from even having to flinch. His hand began to glow white with power as he locked onto to his unsuspecting target. As the flames died down, Megaman moved at blink of an eye, "Gregar Claw!" the navi yelled as he racked Burnerman's chest with his claws.

"Ice Harpoon!" Roll took aim with her buster and fired a barbed pole at the distracted navi. Ice began to form around him as the navi groaned in pain. Burnerman remembered Megaman being strong, but never this powerful. And since when could the pink one be so devastating? Then again, she was using his weakness against him. His eyes narrowed as he broken through his makeshift chains and rushed forward.

"Gregar Vulcan!" Megaman's buster switch to small machine gun type weapon and fired. He grabbed the ground as the power of this weapon would blow him back if he didn't.

Burnerman dodged right (or was it left? He was having a hard time determining left to right), finally being able to get over the cold. He needed to knock out Megaman in order to take care of the orange one, "Flame Canister!" Burnerman yelled as two more canisters rolled in front of the weapon, causing the attack to blow up in Megaman's face. The green navi stumbled back as he shook his head, trying to become unfazed by the attack.

"Aqua Blade! Download!" Mayl said as a blue sword appeared on Roll's arm.

"Burning Jet!" the red navi yelled as he flew towards Roll. As the flaming navi charged, Roll prepared herself to jump out of the way and slash him while he was still attacking. However, Burnerman had a backup plan. One of the canisters from earlier had been forgotten about moved back and knocked Roll off balance from behind. The orange navi tripped and fell forward.

"Roll! Get out of there!" Mayl yelled as Burnerman jetted towards her navi. He was moving too fast. Clearly the bug her attack would have given him wasn't slowing him down at all. However, Burnerman's sense of time was off. He thought the close range blast would have been enough to keep the beast navi off his back at least long enough for him to get the eskimo. He didn't know about Beast Out's Super Armor ability. Megaman rushed forward in front of him and jumped in front of the attack. Megaman grabbed the rushing navi by his shoulders, careful to avoid the flame coming out of his head and planted his feet on the ground. The two slid for a while before Megaman was able to hold him back for a minute.

Burnerman growled as he tried to blast him with with flames from his helmet, but Megaman stood his ground. "Now Roll! I can't hold this forever!" Megaman said quickly as Burnerman willed his flamethrowers to push out more fire. The orange navi got up off her feet and started her rush again. Megaman, seeing Roll back up, jumped to the side and allowed Burnerman to proceed forward.

"CannonBall! Triple Download!" Lan said as two small dark cannon balls appear in Megaman's hands. The Gregar-like navi threw them at the two canisters, destroying them. As Burnerman approached, he increased his flame output to its max, preventing Roll from jumping to the sides. The navi calmed herself as she ran. She would only get one chance at this. A second before Burnerman was three feet away from her, Roll jumped up in the air. She used the sword to cut her scarf from her neck and watched as it landed on the navi's face. As she landed back on the ground and he crashed into the ground, Roll's sword switched back to her buster and she fired another harpoon.

"GAAH!" Burnerman groaned as the ice formed over him again, this time encasing him into the ground. He couldn't take much more of this. As he warmed himself to break through the ice, he sneered at the orange navi in front of him. He was going to make the little twerp pay for embarrassing like this. Was she even a fighting navi? And why the heck was she smirking at him. The female navi pointed up into the air. The navi turned just in time to see Megaman go in for the kill with another Gregar Claw attack. This time, he was coming from an aerial angle, smashing through the ice and connecting with Burnerman. The ice surrounded the fire navi as his flames began to die down. As his data began to fall apart, Roll ran over to Megaman.

"Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly; he had after all taken a full force attack for her.

Megaman smiled back at her tiredly, "A little warm, but I'm fine. The Super Armor took most of the damage." He said referring to the scorch marks on the green armor. Roll quickly sighed in relief and hugged the navi tightly.

She looked up at him as she gave him a quick kiss, "Thanks for saving me." As she let go, she looked at the area where Burnerman once was, "And here I thought summer was actually going to be fun," Roll sighed as her pink hue came back.

"As long as Mortis is still alive, stuff like this will keep happening. Though I guess we should be happy he hasn't done anything too crazy since trying to use Null yet," Megaman agreed as his Gregar armor receded and his blue bodysuit took form.

"We'll just have to be ready," Lan said and turned back to Mayl who was lost in thought, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I mean, it's not like we haven't fought enemies like this before, but I've just got a bad feeling about this. Like something bigger is about to happen," Mayl said, putting a hand to her head.

Lan pulled her into an embrace, "I hope for all are sakes that that feeling is just the food not agreeing with you."

"You're not the only one Lan." Mayl said, agreeing. She looked back up at him. If only they actually had the luck that would allow her to take in that comfort.

* * *

Void grimaced as he saw the scene in front of him. No wonder Mortis was having so much trouble. Those two had gotten good. Really good. In addition to looking older, the two had learned how to use their powers extraordinarily well. But, once things got rolling, their little partnership weren't going to save them. Void turned his head and noticed that a window had popped up revealing a woman with brown hair.

"Dawn, I thought you were working?" Void asked.

"I was. How's your mission going?" Dawn said curtly.

"By the looks of things, Mortis should be getting back to me sometime soon. Don't worry, I'll get the Navi Project files. You'll get your data."

"Good. Continue your work," Dawn said as the window cut out. She never had really talked to him before and her conversation skills had only gotten worse as the days went on. She immersed herself in her work. Trying to discover some kind of secret. He never really got the chance to figure out what was the secret to her obsession. But it wasn't in his place to know.

Void took once more glance at the navi couple before they jacked out. The red navi turned away and continued walking towards the Beach Street Area. It was a long walk to the Lighthouse Comp.

* * *

Ghost: Already kicking things off. Have to say, it's finally nice to have Void as a constant little watcher. His running around last time caused a severe loss of camera time for the guy. *hears some voice in the background* What? What? Morits I can't hear you? What do you mean I can't hear you shouting? There's a bunch of static in the way. Eh, forget it...anyway while I go clear this non-static see you all next week! OH! And by the way, there is a new poll up on my profile so please go check it out! And two, I put this on DA but just wondering do you guys think I should do an ask thing. You knew you guys ask questions and I'll answer the appropriate ones?

Update: Monday


	4. Chapter 4

**Favoriters/Followers: **IchigoPinkPearl101

**Review Responses:**

**True-inTha-Blue:** ...I can't tell if you're responding to my response or just excited for a new chapter. XD

* * *

**Day 2 Part 1 – Would You Mind If I Killed You?**

"_So, it seems that Mortis has decided to make another move against Megaman. Here's another report of him raising another navi. This time it was Burnerman," Chaud said sourly. He really hated dealing with these elusive navis. Always disappearing in the nick of time and becoming major annoyances. In truth, not many of them were truly powerful. They were just smart. And Mortis seemed to be the smartest navi he had seen yet. Always able to somehow weasel his way out of most confrontations by having some sacrificial lamb available for his escape._

Zero scanned the current area he was in. He knew he shouldn't have gone so deep into the Undernet. However, something was calling him here. Well more like something was literally putting a hand behind his back and pushing him forward to some obscure location. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have much control over the destination. His feet moved without caution and his mind had very little to do with his forward movement.

As he walked, he became somewhat aware of the sense of dread around this area. Funny, at one point of his life, where he lived would probably be considered such a place. Maybe even worse seeing as a meeting with him was almost a certain call for deletion. But he had been saved from his dark corner and brought into the light. The question was, would he be able to burn bright enough for whatever force was trying to blow out his candle.

_"Hmm…it makes no sense. Why bother raising all these navis that Megaman's beat before. I mean, it would make sense if he was trying to amass an army or something," Protoman thought out loud. As he and his NetOp once again toured through the case file that had been reopened on many occasions to be updated due to Mortis's frequent attempts to take control of the Net._

Zero froze for a moment as the hand disappeared. Finally, he was able to stop moving. But then what was…? He turned around. He could fell the presence of someone here. Someone powerful. Zero readied his saber. Bass would have to do much better in hiding his power if he wanted the element of surprise. The navi stared into the darkness. If only he could see him in all this darkness.

_"Maybe he is. He's been able to evade capture for a while now. I won't pretend to understand how he keeps doing this, but…hmm," the young man looked over to his side and noticed his father nodding his head in another room. Oh right, the company was going to start a new project with SciLab soon. The best part was that someone had decided to finance the whole project for them. Where the person had come from was unknown to many. However, this person seemed to check out—this Mr. Night. He had apparently been very good with stocks and had accumulated quite the amount of money over the years._

Zero could feel his body being dragged forward once again. This time though, the pull was stronger and had managed to almost lift him off the ground. The navi quickly scanned the area and noticed that there was an abnormality in the area. The navi pushed himself forward and slashed the dark orb in front of him. Behind the now destroyed object was a red navi. His grey eyes bore mad holes into his head

_"Anyway. Perhaps that's what he's always been trying to do. He just not very good at keeping his soldiers alive. Which is something we may be able to take advantage off," Chaud said as he wrote down a quick note and passed it to one of the interns to give to Dr. Sciona. Perhaps this new system would be able to do some good after all. If they could find the energy signals of navis beforehand, they could beat Mortis to the locations and catch him._

"What business do you have with me?" Zero said to the red navi in front of him. He had never seen this navi before in his life, but something about the way he was looking at him put him off. Unlike most navis, he didn't have an emotions program. However if he did, he imagined he would be having something that the humans called…fear.

"None really. Well, just one," Void smirked evilly as he stepped out of the shadows. It had taken quite the Virus Orb had done its job well. Rather than trying to approach him in SciLab, where he could be seen, Dawn had given him an orb that was locked onto Zero's virus signature. He hadn't really known how on earth she had gotten the Zero Virus signature from, but he didn't care. Void's hand switch to a Bug Thunder Sword, "I need your data."

"You expect to fight me with that?" Zero asked, already analyzing the sword. The bugs wouldn't affect him, he was already a virus. Although he was now a navi, he was still unaffected by the status inflicting programs. He was born to create bugs. He could probably even harness their power better than the navi before him.

"No…at least not for the whole time," Void opened his left hand as a black orb charged, "You see…I intend to take your data and end your existence with your own saber! Void Hold!"

"Z-Saber!" Zero yelled as he slashed through the homing shot and continued his charge at this arrogant opponent. Void ducked the second strike and blocked the third with his blade. As the two locked swords, Void could feel his sword beginning to break. Great, not even two seconds in and he was already on the losing side of the field. His sword was cracking under the fearsome power that was the Z-Saber. No amount of bugs would help him deflect this attack for long.

_'I should delete you after your insult to me last year. However, I don't waste my time with weak navis like yourself. Perhaps it was luck that had you self-destruct on your own powers…Your weakness disgusts me.'_

Bass's words bounced around in his head. For months on end he had been ridiculed and destroyed by these words. He had failed Dawn that day. He had failed his purpose. He was supposed to be the ultimate navi. He was supposed to be able to surpass any navi. He could control any array of powers that Dawn handpicked. How dare he believe that he was useless? How dare he call him weak?

"Give…me…your…data…" Void growled as his sword shattered, cutting him right across his chest. The red navi looked down to see a jagged line sliced across his chest and looked back at Zero in fury. How dare he make him look like a fool? Was he trying to use his own words against him? Void's eyes started getting small. He could feel some of his functions shutting down. The Zero Virus. He had given it to him. …Perfect.

"This battle is over. You should return to your NetOp while you still can," Zero said stoically, like this happened every time he fought someone. He hadn't meant to give the navi his virus, but he was being so persistent of trying to take his data. He just wanted to give him a preview of what would happen if he even tried to control his power. Zero had yet to perfect his conversationalist skills so of course he thought that this preview would have been the best way to communicate to such a navi.

"No…this battle is not over!" Void growled. He wasn't going to fail her this time. She had told him to collect Zero's data. Everything was riding on the fact that he would learn swordsmanship and his best way of learning was taking someone else's ability. It was the only way he could learn.

"Yes, it is. Return back to your home!" Zero turned around, his saber still out to show that he was still armed, "You cannot fight against me in your condition. If you wish to live, return back."

Void felt something inside him snap. Zero wasn't a real navi. He had only been turned into one after the punk had gotten pity from Dr. Hikari. A virus was calling him weak. Not even a navi or a godly being. A virus, "DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME! VOID HOLE!"

The navi dashed forward and threw himself at Zero, pulling him into the hole which he had just opened. Inside the "black hole", Zero moved to get up but felt himself being slower in his movement. He soon realized that the gravity in this place was much different to that of the cyber world. His energy was draining simply trying to keep himself up! As the red navi looked at his opponent, he noticed one thing. The hole behind him was opening again, sending them back out. His opponent could only keep him in here for so long!

"No…" Void said as he walked in front of him, "I'm not letting you leave. Not without your data."

Zero thought quickly, trying to figure out his course of action. After a few seconds, he thought of it, "Phantom Saber!" the red navi said as he fired a sonic boom at his opponent. Void, whose processes were beginning to slow down, only thought of jumping into the air. Zero would have smirked if he could. His enemy had done exactly what he predicted, "Holy Thunder Saber!" Zero yelled as he used his sword to uppercut him. Void spiraled up into the air, trying to keep his composure.

"My apologies. But you have…as the humans say it, lost your chance. Triple Mag Saber!" Zero waited for the right moment and then used his sword to deliver the red navi down to the ground hard. As Zero stepped back up, he noticed that the navi's emblem had shattered. However, instead of being in incredible pain, he just started laughing.

"Oh, oh…I was wondering when that was going to happen," Void cackled as he leapt back up to his feet and kicked Zero in his chest. The navi spiraled down onto his back as Void charged another attack, "Especially now that you know about my like decoy, I can't let you live and blab to all your friends. But this fight has me wondering. This hole acts almost like its own server. From the outside, I can only hold someone here for a few moments. Inside, I can keep you all as long as I want," Void said, holding the ball in the air. Well, that wasn't exactly true. He could hold someone as long as he could stay awake since his energy was also being drained in this field. However, Zero didn't need to know about his bluff, "Now, die virus! Void Held!"

The explosion fell short of Zero by a few marks. Void blinked. How could he have missed? He didn't think his targeting systems were decaying yet so why did he make such a blunder at the crucial moment? The navi took a few steps forwards before breaking into a partial sprint, Bug Thunder Sword activated. It didn't matter what it took, this data was his!

Zero raised his blade to pary, but was surprised when the force of the blade crashing (and breaking) slung the saber out of his hands. A navi in his condition shouldn't have been able to do that. What the heck was he? He didn't seem to be getting stronger, so where did this power come from? Unfortunately, the same time he understood, so did Void. The gravity was not only draining his attacks, but increasing the force of the attacks. The attacks weren't getting stronger, the force they had was!

Void smirked, "So, it looks like there is a bonus in this place for me after all. Which makes me wonder. If I fire a homing shot as fast as I can, will the increased gravity make it hurt more when it lands? Guess we're just going to have to find out!" the navi launched one orb after another into the air as hard as he could. Before Zero could try and counter the attacks, the first blast hit. As the barrage landed back into the ground, Void smirked as the smoke encased him. His attacks had either doubled or tripled as they hit the ground. Alright, maybe fifty blast was a tad over excessive but it would teach him to call him weak. Teach him to call him weak.

Zero was clutching the ground and trying to make his way out of the Void Hole when Void intercepted him. The blade seemed to give off an eerie green and gray glow, "It's time for your deletion, virus. Prepare to join the rest of your kind as junk data!"

A few moments later, the red navi held out his hands and absorbed the data of the fallen navi. However, before he left the Black Hole Network, he coughed out some of the navi's data. He wouldn't need that Zero Virus, curing himself by coughing up his own affliction. After all, he wasn't a virus. As Void stepped out of his small world, he crumpled to the ground, completely wiped out. If it hadn't been for that Undershirt program, he would have been deleted. Hell, he might have even damaged himself in that insane barrage of his. But it didn't matter now. Void smirked as a purple saber appeared in place of his hand. He had what he had come for. There was only one Zero. No copies or later versions. No tricks and none as the best sword virus the world had now. And he had just taken his data. And now, onto bigger and better things. He smirked to himself as he jacked out of the network.

Better yet…Mortis wouldn't be able to push him around anymore.

* * *

Update: Friday

Ghost: So...seems like Void has a bit of an inferiority complex. And now he has sword control...well...this isn't probably the best thing that could've happened for everyone. But it can't be the worst right...? I mean, it's not like something terrible is going to happen immediately because Void now has new power...right? Ghost501 logging out!


	5. Chapter 5

**Favoriters/Followers: **danparker

* * *

**Day 2 Part 2 - Chill in the Room**

"We're getting put on what!" Lan said excitedly. He actually couldn't believe what he was hearing right now!

"The new IPC and SciLab joint project. Apparently, someone has been very generous and financed one of their research projects," his father smiled. He'd never imagine the day when Lan would be excited to do research. It seemed like such a time ago when his laziness would drive him to only try and excel in Net Battles. Though, now that he was more experienced, he would actually be able to help out on parts of the project.

"So what are we working on?" Megaman asked, curious as to what the manufacturer of PETs could possibly be making.

"Well as you both now, there has been a recent push to research electromagnetic waves. We think that we can possible use them in order to resurface the Net and allow for faster Net Navi transportation. Plus, it would be easier to send data over air waves than it is to travel over the Net. The best part is the unknown applications this could have." His father explained. There were actually very few people looking into EM Wave technology. After the Net was created, many scientists found it more worth while to create ways to secure the Net rather than advance it just yet. After all, the Net was anything but secure and trying to advance something that they hadn't properly manufacture was a pretty big mistake.

"Wow, that sounds pretty cool. So I guess we're going to be working under you?" Lan asked. Every time he had been placed in a project, Dr. Hikari would always be in the staff as well. Normally, SciLab tried to discourage family members working together like this, but in light of the events that happened a few years ago and who exactly the people were, no one truly complained.

"No, not this time boys. IPC's giving us one of their own. In fact, she should be here soon," the doctor said as soon as the elevator dinged, "Ah, speak of the devil. That must be her." He was actually quite interested in meeting this scientist. While no one yet truly understood electromagnetic waves, Dr. Sciona was pretty understanding of them. Not at all knowledgeable, but she more or less understood how they worked. Luckily, the team that had been assembled for her were indeed the experts that would help to guide her to making this new system.

As the black haired woman walked into the room, Lan couldn't help but feel somewhat threatened. It was like she was giving off this aura that said "don't screw with me and I may not screw with you". Either way, she was giving him the creeps and practically making the room feel like it was iced over. His father gave a soft smile, though it almost looked as if he himself wasn't exactly comfortable around this woman. Well...interesting was indeed a way to put her, "Lan, I'd like you to meet your boss, Dr. Sciona."

"Hello," Lan said extending his hand.

"Charmed. So, are you ready to work on the Transer System?" the doctor asked, sizing up the boy with her green eyes. Lan felt like she was almost going to crush his hand. Did this woman have muscles of steel or something?

"Um…yes?" Lan said uneasily, trying to resist the urge to shake his hand after she had released it out of her grip.

"Good. Then you'll be starting immediately. We're meeting in the northeast wing of the building. You should meet a few other scientists there. You won't be able to miss them." Dr. Sciona said as she turned her attention back to the boy's father. Lan took her disregard of him as his moment to leave. Plus, he was definitely going to need some space for her if he was going to work with her.

"She's a little um…" Megaman started as they entered the elevator. Was it strange that he had felt the woman's disposition from inside his PET? The worst part, he had barely seen her. The device hadn't been angled for him to get a good look, but her voice shook him. He hoped her strictness had a nice interior behind it all and she was just stressed on the first day.

"Creepy?" Lan offered as he flexed his hand. He could swear she was still holding it.

Megaman nodded, "I was going to say rude, but creepy works too."

"I'll say. I just hope I'll make it through the summer."

"Lan, this isn't the end of the world. Sometimes, we just have to work with people we don't like. This happens all the time."

Lan sighed as he looked back up on the screen displaying the floor he was on, "You're right. Well, I guess we'll just have to work double time to impress her."

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" Megaman agreed as the two exited the elevator and headed for their destination. At least maybe the team they were going to work with wouldn't be as cold.

* * *

Mortis growled as he walked into the YumLand Net Area. He was beyond livid. Another navi deleted. How many times were Kiloboy and Bread going to defeat his navis before he got his army together? It was entirely frustrating. Well, he guessed that Burnerman had been his fault…but it was the principle! No, this time he wasn't going to fail. He wanted that data. He wanted to delete Megaman and Roll. And most of all, he was going to enjoy watching Dawn's little world crumble. All he needed was a chance to take a nice cool breath.

'_Or maybe'_ Mortis smirked as he extended his palm and the ground around him began to freeze over. A blue crystal navi could be seen forming in front of him, causing Mortis's smirk to grow into a laugh, _'An ice cold breath.'_ He wouldn't have much hope in trying to control such godly forces like Gospel or Alpha. They were too chaotic and never had master. Well, yes on some level Wily or any of the others had maintained some level of control over these legendary beasts, but did they really have control. These unnatural forces of programming were no more controllable than the common virus. It pursued what it was coded to face and then what? They weren't navis. They wouldn't make a choice to stop destroying everything. They would fight whatever stood in its way of power and destruction until there was nothing left for itself to turn on except itself.

Legendary beasts? No, more like time bombs that never had the chance to fully explode. Gregar and Gospel were no more than a collection of errors that amassed together and started to force the Net to become like it. The Life Virus had a programmed sequence to destroy everything related to the Net while Falzar would track any super masses of bugs (aka Gregar) and try to delete that.. Alpha wanted to revert the Net and everything connected to it back under its control where it would do whatever it wanted to. And Nebula Gray, it just wanted darkness to consume everything. Yes they were no more than programs, but they were programmed far beyond those capabilities the humans had ever dreamed of. They shrugged off the humans with very little energy. How could he control them when he was programmed with his own limited power?

So, in light of this, he could settle for one of the greatest lieutenants ever known.

"Welcome back to the land of the living. I have a job for you…Freezeman."

* * *

"You should have seen her Mayl. She literally froze the whole room! No one even tried talking without her permission. She gives everyone the creeps; even dad was nervous to talk to her!" Lan said as he relayed his day over to Mayl. His girlfriend had called him later on that evening after he had gotten back home.

"Well, is everyone else nice?" Mayl asked, feeling a nervous sweat come on at Lan's sudden shivering. Apparently, he had started exaggerating that he could still feel the Dr. Sciona's cold personality from his house.

Lan blinked for a moment, dropping his act, "Yeah for the most part, everyone else is pretty cool. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to finally be on a project that my dad isn't on. But this Dr. Sciona…"

"Who knows. Maybe she was just like that to scare everyone into doing their best?" Mayl suggested, knowing that from the sounds of things she was just grabbing straws from very thin air.

Lan shook his head, "I don't know. But anyway, sorry Mayl. I know you just called, but it's late and I've got to be in early tomorrow. Dr. Sciona wants everyone back at the lab at 7:30 sharp to split up into team," The young man sighed, "Is it sad that I'm already counting down the days?"

"Give her a chance Lan," Mayl said, "But alright then. See you tomorrow?"

"Maybe…depends on just what happens. At least the weekend is coming up so we'll be able to hang out then if anything."

"Great! Well, good night. Love you!" the red haired woman said happily.

"Night, love ya too." Lan said as he ended the call and flopped onto his bed. Megaman was out, probably still talking to Roll or taking care of a few things for tomorrow. Lan had sorta forgot which one he had said since he had been completely drained today. Ah well, he wasn't the one who need eight hours of sleep, though thanks to college Lan could run on less if he needed to. The young man closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Hopefully, the following weeks wouldn't be as bad.

* * *

Update: Monday

Ghost: Freezeman has come back from the dead...great...and know my studio has iced over. I remember there was a reason I hate cold. But this is DN...when do things ever not become that bad... hehehehe...Not going to lie, I'm prepared for the wrath of many people during this DN. (Though looking back at some of these chapters, I can't help but feel it started off kinda...off. Maybe it's just me.) Anyway, Ghost501 logging out!

PS: Anyone seen the final episode of Season 2 of RWBY? What'd you think of it? If you post that in the reviews, no spoilers...


	6. Chapter 6

**Favoriters/Followers: **luckerL

**Review Responses:**

**terratasha:** Until you read this chapter. The hope is that I just blew your expectations of this story out of the water and now you are on route to figuring out what a conniving little ghost I am. XD

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**Day 3 Part 1 – I Know Your Little Secret!**

Dr. Sciona rubbed her temple as she began to pack up from the day's events. She was going to lose it if she had to attend one more meeting. The constant chatter between the employees on both SciLab and IPC drove her insane. Then again, this wasn't the first time that her work had caused her this much stress. No, there were many times before now that drove her mad.

Sure, she was good at what she did and she got the jist of what her teams had been telling her, but she wasn't a miracle worker. The field of EM Waves was still new to even her, that's why she had a team of scientist to do that research for her. But there was also one more reason. She had better things to do that to work for IPC on trying to better the Net. No…she had a much bigger role to play. She only stayed in these meetings merely to keep up this façade for just a little while longer. Dr. Sciona groaned as she put her head onto the table.

If she needed an aspirin at only two weeks into this project, she didn't know what she was going to need after a month. She was coming to the end of her rope. Especially if she was going to have to report to that damn skunk-haired kid one more time. Speaking of kids, another annoyance crossed her mind. Lan Hikari. She hadn't expected him to be assigned to her team at all. With him here, her mind was even more clouded than it normally was. Phase 1 was finally completed and undergoing phase 2 had been all and well until he showed up! Now, she was more paranoid than ever!

Her computer beeped as the files finished downloading into her PET. It had been a long day and she wanted to return home. Plus, hopefully these SciLab documents would come in handy for discovering the truth about the science lab's secrets. As she prepared to leave, she noticed that someone was still in her lab. She walked closer to the small room where the design team was supposed to be. Except, the design team had gone for the day. All with the exception of Hikari.

Dr. Sciona put on the tiniest of smirks as she noticed the boy talking to his net navi. Okay, so despite the paranoia it had been a tiny stroke of luck that was able to keep tabs on the boy. Plus, it was rather fun watching him squirm. Even though, she had already done much worse to him in the past. But there was just something fun about doing it yourself. She could have almost laughed; except that it would have tipped him off that she was in the doorway. Dr. Sciona rolled her eyes and was about to walk past the room until she heard a snippet of what the boys were talking about.

"Lan, maybe you should give it a rest for now. You've been at this for three hours. Maybe we should just head back home for the night and look at it again tomorrow," Megaman suggested as he looked at his tired brother. Still the caring navi as always.

"Man, and here I thought I was actually going to be useful at this project…" Lan sulked. He had hoped that somehow staring at the design template in front of him would have given him some kind of idea in helping the team make some kind of headway. Since the beginning, they had run into the problem of trying to minimize the EM Wave converters into Net transmitters, but the problem was that they couldn't.

"Lan, no one really knows about this. This field only was created last year. Don't beat yourself up over it," Megaman reassured him, "Besides, when we do figure it out, it'll only be that much more rewarding."

"Alright Hub, what motivational BBS Boards have you been reading?" Lan said, his eyes narrowing sarcastically.

"Hehe…oh look at the time, I've got to meet up with Roll. See ya at home!" Megaman said. He kinda didn't want to say that he had been hanging around the Green Area BBS Boards; Lan probably wouldn't let him hear the end of it. Most of the time, they were just lawyers complaining, but occasionally he found something useful there.

"Oh, no you don't!" Lan said. But Dr. Sciona didn't really hear the rest of it. She had quickened her pace out of the building. Well…at least she knew who the hell was Hub now. As she walked into the station, she quickly yanked off the annoying wig and dumped it into the close trash bin. At least now she wouldn't have to deal with these annoying bugs anymore.

Dawn smirked as she got on the train and clutched her PET full of SciLab archive files. It had taken weeks to grab all the data she needed, go through it, and tear out the junk. But now she finally had it. She just loved it when her plans came together. Void had finally acquired Sword Navi data, allowing her to finalize his battle function, well…until she found a way to upgrade the Elementman. Surprisingly, Mortis had given her the correct Gravityman data, probably before he turned. Dawn huffed as she entered the train. If only she had anticipated Mortis turning on her. Ah well, soon he would be dead anyway.

Her mind began to wander as she took a seat on the train. Of course, Mr. Night had been harder to create than she thought. It took quite some time to build all the forgeries and fake stories about him. Then again, when a check of 10 million zennys came in, no one was really complaining. She had finally gathered enough money from the robberies and money syphoning from random people's accounts. Dawn grabbed the locket around her neck and clicked it open. Inside was a picture of two small children and a man next to them.

It was outdated by quite a few years. If it was recent, then the man would be in a casket. The small daughter who smiled brightly would be… Dawn snapped the locket closed, refusing to think of her child in the manner she died. It was their fault. Every day going to work for IPC sickened her to her core. There had been plenty of occasions when she had thrown up everything she ate in the early days of working there. But it had all been for them. Sure had she maybe taken things a tad too far? Possible. But why not. No one was left to restrain. To hold her back. To stop her from snapping. Yes, she was almost there. Not too much longer now.

* * *

Dawn scanned through file after file furiously regarding the net navi, Megaman. EXE. Not many files had been placed in the archives regarding him. She had found a couple here and then regarding a few scientists' private notes that had been logged away in a complaint that had gone to the board regarding the blue navi's immediate deactivation. He had been regarded to as a freak of nature and a high level threat to Net Security. However, the files regarding to why this complaint was never followed through on had been destroyed. In fact, several pieces of Megaman's early history had been destroyed.

This was all Dawn had discovered about the navi. He had been created by Lan's father, Yuichiro Hikari as a product of the man's half of the Navi Project. He had been designed as the framework for the most important piece of the research. This project was supposed to put a human soul into the body of the navi. However, he had stopped his project for a few months and then resumed it in secret. The reasons behind his departure and his project had been blackouted out from her view. From there, there were random reports saying that the project he had resumed ended in failure and that Megaman had just been activated by accident. But what was more curious was the parts that Dawn couldn't see. It seemed that even in SciLab, the higher ups still didn't want anyone even in SciLab to learn of its secrets and that the files pertaining this had been moved to an offsite location for safe keeping. Very interesting. Interesting in the annoying sense. What was so important that SciLab felt the need to try and bury it from even anyone who worked there?

She sighed. As attention grabbing as it was, it still didn't get her any closer to discovering where this Hub fit in. From what she had gathered, Hub was Megaman but why would he be called that of all things? Come to think of it, there had been mentions of that name in Roll's data. Even when her data had been analyzed, she tried even called out that name. She hadn't exactly been in the most comfortable of sleep modes. Not that Dawn particularly cared how comfortable the navi was. Back then, she just assumed it some kind of pet name. But then why would his NetOp be using it? The whole situation was giving Dawn a headache. She had gone to school for Computer Systems and Design, not to join the Police Academy!

The woman flicked her green eyes back to the screen as she toggled through a few more screens of data. The Navi Project had been used to somehow put a human soul into a navi by use of DNA. She wasn't entirely sure how that worked, but the complication of it intrigued her. She made a note to look into this concept later. As she thought it over one more time, something clicked. Hub must have been the human soul in Megaman's frame. Hub wasn't just a pet name. It was his actual name.

Dawn opened up another menu and searched for the name Hub in one of the hospital databases. She got about 1000 hits in just the country of Electopia alone. Quite a few of them were dead too. Which only made it harder since there meant that the list of candidates was quite larger. She at least hoped the candidates were dead. She didn't want to think about the complications this could cause if Megaman and the human were both alive and walking around at the same time. Dawn sighed as she looked back the SciLab files. She was beginning to become impatient. The information she needed was right here in front of her! It had to be!

Dawn looked back into the scientists' private notes. Perhaps something had been left. Apparently, SciLab had been pretty though in trying to keep Megaman's true existence a secret. Then again, she'd just imagine the scandal if everyone knew. _Science allows humans to lives as immortal programs._ Maybe she'd get a bargaining chip out of all this after all. However, as she scrolled through once again, she smiled widely. She eagerly read the notes of an outraged scientist.

_Journal Entry 924:_

_I am deeply disturbed by the board's decision to only suspended Dr. Yuichiro Hikari for two months. We told him that this project was crazy to begin with. I have never been in favor of SciLab trying to play god with humanity and technology. I believed it was a physical impossibility to put a human into the cyber world. While I am impressed by Dr. Hikari's work, I am disgusted with the navi known as Megaman. EXE. How could he do that to his own baby? Doesn't he know the life of a net navi? It's all battles and servitude. They are programs, not humans. They were not meant to become the abomination that Dr. Hikari has created. I can no longer take the environment here. If this is the future of net navis, then I shall no longer be a part of this journey. I will be turning in my letter of resignation on Friday. May the future be safe._

Dawn flipped back to her window of names. Instead of Hub, she typed in the name Hub Hikari. One hit. Deceased, four months old at the time. Brown hair, brown eyes. Son of Yuichiro and Haruka Hikari. Brother to Lan Hikari, who was still alive. Death caused by HBD.

'_Got ya.'_

* * *

Update: Friday

Ghost: Welp! It's over now! Dawn's figured out that Megaman is Hub Hikari and knowing her this can only go south for everyone's favorite blue bomber. But the question is what plans does our DN antagonist have for him? She's already tried to destroy his brother's mind without even being in the same room as him and her navis have done worse. Just a little something to think about. Ghost501 logging out!

Oh! I've been thinking of opening an profile. Think I should go for it? PM or Review. Have a great day and see ya Friday!


	7. Chapter 7

**Favoriters/Followers: **Choastrike

**Review Responses:**

**luckerL: ***munches on popcorn* It does indeed appear so! Though I can't shake the feeling that something pretty bad is about to happen which is going to bring this audience to a staggering halt.

**terratasha:** No! I'm becoming predictable! Though, in that situation there really wasn't much else that could have possibly have happened. Wonder if you'll see the other surprise in this story before it happens.

* * *

**Day 3 Part 2 - Caught Silver Handed**

Dawn closed her windows and opened up her file of Megaman's data from three years ago. She had meant to scrap it, but had been putting it off until she got the new data. Now she knew that she would have gotten the same problem even with a new scan. The data she couldn't decipher. That was his human DNA. She had to admire Dr. Hikari's craftsmanship. She would have never thought it was possible if she wasn't looking at the data in front of her. Now, all she had to do was to break it down and learn it, starting with that heavily embed piece of code. Unlike the rest of the DNA, this part had gone in deep in Megaman's systems. As she typed in a few keys, she discovered one thing. The DNA had a key. In order to be properly digitized, the computer that had done this work seemed to have created a digital key to the human DNA so that any programs that interfaced with Megaman wouldn't somehow interact with it.

In other words, it had a security system and a map around it. Human DNA was hard to understand. Code, as long as you knew what you were doing, was easy. And Dawn had several years experience to try.

Dawn flicked across a couple screens and pulled up the code. While she worked on messing with the data in its own testing space, Void returned back from the Undernet. He had spent a little time down there getting used to his new power.

"Hello Dawn, anything I can do?" the red navi asked.

"Yeah, email IPC and tell them that I quit the Transer Project and the company. Destroy any contact records they have of me and the account with the research money. Dump most of it back into people's accounts. I don't really care where it all goes. You could give it to some orphanage for all I care. Just save some of it for me. I may need it for a backup plan in case things go south. Also, get rid of any files dealing with a Dr. Diamond Sciona or a Mr. Casius Night. I'd rather not have any loose ends."

"I'll have it completed by the end of the night," Void said, already making plans to brute force his way into several servers. If he attacked the main systems, he would have them so bugged up that the computer would be unable to figure out what 2 + 2 was.

Dawn looked back at the navi for a quick second, "Also, check up on Mortis. Make sure he hasn't screwed up and gotten Freezeman deleted yet and revived the other navis we need."

"I'm guessing you've gotten what you wanted from the inside?" Void asked, looking back at her one last time before turning to leave.

"Oh, not yet. I won't get what I want until I have SciLab's true records of the Navi Project and Megaman in my hands. But," Dawn smirked as she noticed the code beginning to bug, severely, "If you're asking me if I'm any closer to discovering it all. I would say that I'm closer than I've ever been."

"Very well then," he said as he jacked out into the Net.

'_Who knew that this navi would be the key to everything?'_ Dawn thought as she continued to work more and more in-depth on this code. She would have laughed if she was that kind of person. Maybe she would have felt bad if she hadn't seen her own child in pain and suffering. Maybe if she hadn't seen and experience what she had, then maybe she would feel an ounce of sympathy or guilt for what she was about to do. But then again, you don't always get everything you want in life. However, as a doctor and scientist, she had to wonder just one thing about the experiment she was about to do. Even as a navi…would he still feel the pain of not being able to breathe?

She pressed a button and saw the code bug once again. You know, humans were complex. Easy to break and hard to fix. Programs, if buggy enough, could get to the point where they weren't worth fixing. Just how much push would she have to give before they folded? Well, she was soon going to find out. After all, what was once determined by nucleic acids was now only fixated by ones and zeroes. The coding was complex, but the transfer between human DNA and the digital world had digitized Megaman's code. He may be human, but he was also a computer.

And that was something that she would take advantage of.

* * *

Void couldn't understand why it was so easy to get into important server. It had only taken him an hour to dispatch of the various forms of delaying that this system had to offer and it was supposed to be a files server. Alright, so there were many of these things, but surely people had to have worried about what happens in a chain reaction right?

His purple saber began to glow as he walked up to a control panel and began a search for the names Dawn had told him to delete permanently. If he caused a loss of data here, then the virus embedded into his blade would spread to all the other servers and take out the same information there. So there was a plus in taking a virus's power. While he didn't have the Zero Virus, he understood how these things spread across computer system. It gave him a sudden appreciation for it.

As he scanned through the plethora of names, his mind once again began to wander. She was in one of her moods again. Fixation. Obsession. Just what was her driving factor? What compelled her? He had no reason to question, but part of him did just for curiosity's sake. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was how all navis were. Inquisitive by nature. They weren't humans, but computers. They needed information in order to process the world around them. Without information, they would be outdated and left behind. Perhaps, their own obsession was what drove him to wonder about his NetOp.

He flicked his finger twice, flagging the names he had been given. Well, looks like that was going to be enough for today. However, as he prepared to strike the panel, he stopped. Sure there were many names with Dawn, but maybe the thing that caught his attention with this one was the last name. Silverlight. Yes, he had seen that name before. It was the name…on Dawn's doctorate. He had seen a digital copy of it one time when she had him look for some files in an old hard drive of hers. But…how could she been dead?

Void turned behind him to make sure nothing particularly interesting was happening. Well…it would exactly be betraying her if she didn't know…right? He copied the file into his system files and destroyed the files of Dr. Diamon Sciona, Mr. Casius Night, and _Dr. Dawn Silverlight. _Well, at least he knew now how she so easily fabricated herself as a doctor. She already was one.

As he journeyed back to the meeting point, he began to scroll through some of the files. Some of it was scattered and he definitely wanted to put it away before he got anywhere close to Mortis's territory. What he read almost bugged his logic function. Dawn was insane…no, actually marked clinically insane by a psychiatric. Not only that, but according to this file, she had not only gotten out of the nut house, but had committed suicide. The only note she had left said two words: _The End._ Void grabbed his hand which had actually started trembling on its own. Just who the hell was he working for? Was he even the navi of Dawn Silverlight or some kind of imposter? Just what the hell was going on!

"And what is that in your hand, Void?" a voice asked.

Void looked up. Great, he had gotten so involved that he had almost walked into Mortis. The red navi closed the file as it disappeared out of view, "It's nothing. Just a few project files that Dawn wanted me to review."

"Hmm," the navi mused to himself. He wasn't an idiot. Void was hiding something…and that was normally a thing he was good at. So, why show his cards now? Mortis looked around him. Nothing appeared to be out of the norm. However, it was probably better off to have this conversation quickly.

"Anyway, I assume you've raised Freezeman and the others?" Void asked.

Mortis nodded, "Yes. All according to schedule."

"Good. Then you know what you're going to do next."

Mortis smirked. He may not have liked the brunette woman, but he had to admit that she often made good plans, "Yes. Now we reintroduce the Ice Age upon the Net once again."

* * *

Update: Monday

Ghost: And thus, we have revealed that Dawn is clinically insane. At least, Dawn Silverlight is. I mean, there is no way that Dawn of now is Dawn of past right?...Maybe...Oh, brr...I'm leaving to go get a jacket. Ghost501 logging...*acchhooo!* out...*sniff sniff*.


	8. Chapter 8

**Day 4 Part 1 – Frozen Trap**

Colorman lied down in a crumpled, pudgy heap. The navi was getting the beat down of his life. But then again, that's what happens when you mess with Bass. The God of Destruction seemed even stronger than ever, not that Colorman had ever met him. He had just heard the legends. The finned navi turned his head for a split second as he held his Nightmare Overload in his hand. Bass fired the massive orb at the clown, deleting him.

The navi closed his eyes. Yep, it was definitely getting colder on the Net. So, Mortis had felt the need to bring that upstart to life again. Bass never did like what the Gospel navi had done to the Net. He wasn't too much a fan of the cold and it made traveling quite difficult when he had to smash every piece of weirdly colored cyber ice in his way. Bass opened his eyes and stared back at the crater he had created.

However, if he was back, then Megaman would be to. Well, it was finally time to see just how powerful the navi had become. Bass wanted to strike him down at his best just so that he could prove that these humans and their stupid bonds had no power to defeat him. He was the _God_ of Destruction. And humans couldn't beat gods without a hell of a lot of luck.

* * *

The two navis stared down as SciLab's entry points began to freeze over. Soon, no one would be able to get in the network nor the building itself. Mortis frowned as Freezeman continued to send ice over the entire cyber world. He didn't like this. Not for a good second. Void was being too quiet. And he had a bad feeling that he was only going to be stabbed in the back. He would have attacked the red navi and be done with this…until earlier that morning the navi had shoved a purple saber in his face and told him that he was going to do exactly what he said. Yeah, over the course of the night, whatever hesitation the navi had had disappeared and his normal annoying demeanor had returned.

In some weird retrospect, he really should have seen this coming and felt stupid for not killing the annoying navi. But then Dawn would just bring him back…since she would have a backup of him. And he would probably be even more ticked at him…which would just cause him to be hunted even more so than before. Mortis growled to himself. He hated it when he didn't have all the cards in his hand. He hated it just as much as his still growing distaste for the woman who created him. Plus, there was one factor that Void seemed to have forgotten about.

Megaman.

The blue navi seemed to have harbored a bit of a grudge towards him. He had no idea why the navi felt worse than his girlfriend. It's not like…oh wait, he did put Gregar back in his systems and tried to turn him loss on the Net after attempting to turn his girlfriend into a dark navi by trying to make her Dark Soul consume her lighter half and almost destroy her. My, my. Things look a lot differently when you're objective.

Mortis pushed aside his thoughts and continued to focus on the task at hand. If this operation went smoothly, then he would hold all of that brat's secrets anyway. Then it wouldn't have mattered who was in the way. Plus, he could still feel someone in this area. He was sure he wouldn't mind being used as a human shield, "This had better work."

"What? You scared, reviver?" Void asked sarcastically. Although, it was mostly what he could do to keep himself in check. He had had no time to look at the file again since returning back to Dawn and the questions in his head plagued him into the night. He had barely avoided somehow tripping her suspicions of him.

"Of course not, but you do realize the implications if we fail?" Mortis countered.

"What implications?"

"You idiot! We are attacking SciLab directly! Not only are we as good as deleted when they find us, but in case you haven't remembered, I'm as good as dead." But as he thought about it, he realized that this probably wouldn't have affected Void. He was Crashman's successor after all. And the orange navi had made a mess of this network a few years ago all by himself!

Void rolled his eyes, "I fail to see how any of your problems impact me in any way."

"Ever heard of guilty by association?"

"Relax Mortis. I'm not aware of the implications because there aren't any. Everything will go according to plan. You just need to be patient enough to see it all unfold."

"Why do I not like the sound of this?" Mortis rumbled under his breath, making back-up plans in his head. He had a really bad feeling that Dawn was more interested in this Navi Project that the earlier deal had suggested. And anything Dawn found an interest in, she somehow found a way to obtain it. The gray navi shivered. He just needed to keep his head.

Void smirked as the ice began to set on the ground. _'Alright, Megaman. Your move. I guarantee whatever it is…I'll make it your last.' _Void stared at his saber with a heightened interest. One strike she said. That would be all it would take. Her virus would take care of the rest. Void looked back out, waiting for the navis to come for him. The sooner he got his job done, the sooner he would be able to find out the truth.

* * *

"Ugh, Lan? Could you check to see what the PET says about the temperature in here? I feel like I'm freezing in here," Megaman shivered. He had thought it was oddly cold this morning and it had only been getting worse as time passed. He really had half a mind to ask Lan to activate the Heat Cross so that he could at least feel a little better. All this cold wasn't good for his processing and reaction time.

"Sure thing Megaman," Lan said, swiveling over to his desk and grabbing his PET. It was a Saturday and after a long night at the lab, the boys were happy for the time off. The young man keyed in a few buttons, "Geez, the PET says it's about 40 degrees in there."

"Okay, so I'm not the only one this is happening too," Mayl said as she entered the Hikari's room. Like Lan and every other human in Electopia, she was wearing normal summer clothes. From all appearances, only the Net was affected by the apparent temperature drop.

Roll walked in trembling, despite being in her Glacia Merge, "It's not just in our PCs either. It's even worse outside; the whole Net is freezing." She reported as she walked next to Megaman after being jacked in. She and Mayl had gotten up a bit early to take care of some errands to find most of the places closed down since a lot of the navis refused to stand in one place while feeling so cold.

"That is weird. I wonder what's going on at SciLab?" Lan said, pulling up a window to send an email. SciLab was in charge of a lot of things on the Net, from appearance to temperature. While they were not the only control point for interactions on the Net, they were a good place to start.

"Don't bother. The email server is down. Or at least we think so after ours failed to go through for the second time," Roll mentioned, staying close to the other blue navi next to her. Unfortunately, neither navi felt particularly better in the close proximity. Whatever this cold was, it wasn't normal.

"That means something must be happening at SciLab. Some part of that building handles the email service in this part of Electopia and I don't think the system should be down. Maybe we should go check it out?" Megaman suggested.

"Good idea, you two okay with heading down there?" Lan asked. All Megaman needed was a huge fluffy overcoat and then he would have two shivering eskimo navis in his PC.

Roll nodded, "When I went out this morning, it wasn't like there was anything dangerous outside. It's just really cold, right now. But just keep an eye on our temperatures," Roll said as she and Megaman took his link out into the Net. Both NetOps nodded as they both switched over their PET display. Now, there was a bar showing just how warm each navi was.

"We should be fine until we get to around 30 degrees. After that, there might be a delay in battle chip and sub chip downloads. If we go down to 10, you're going to have to jack us out and have us back in the PETs." Megaman explained, as both navis got ready to leave.

"Maybe even put us in the copybots. They're probably warmer than the PETs right now," Roll suggested, as she followed behind Megaman and ventured out onto the Net.

* * *

"Iceman must be enjoying himself," Megaman grumbled, unfortunately having bad flashbacks of the Waterworks Network. While most of ACDC Area hadn't taken the brunt force, the opposite could be said for the SciLab Network. Ice had encompassed the whole area, causing Megaman to slip and slid all over the place. They had both had close calls in terms of failing of the road and into the abyss below when Megaman had almost went over the side and dragged Roll with him. They both decided that activating their respective fire abilities would only make things worse since not only would they have melting water to worry about, but also the fact that traveling on the ice with water slick feet would be a bad thing to do.

"Yeah, but Iceman's still alive isn't he?" Roll asked, somewhat tense. As much as she'd like to _thank_ Mortis for her little mental adventure about a year and a half ago, she'd rather not have to fight anyone when she could barely keep her footing. While there was the faintest possibility of it being a CHAOS navi, the likelihood of that was extremely low since CHAOS had been inactive for quite some time. Almost forgotten about really.

"Yep, that leaves only Coldman, Blizardman, and Freezeman who could have done this. Odds are its Freezeman. I'm not really sure if Mortis could take dealing with a refrigerator or the snowman. Plus, Freezeman's more disciplined about his job." Megaman commentated as they both finally made it the entrance of SciLab Network. As the two looked around, they noticed a familiar face also inspecting the area.

"A little late to the party you two," the red navi said as he turned around.

"Protoman, haven't run into you in a while," Megaman said as he and Roll slid in front of him.

"Yes, well between Mortis and his navis and Dr. Sciona quitting on us and the money going missing, Chaud and I have been spread a little thin. But this. This is something I wasn't planning on dealing with today," Protoman turned his head back to the frozen over link, "All the others are like this. Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to get in. From Chaud and I have been able to gather, the building is also locked under a sheet of ice. We haven't seen him yet, but we're pretty sure this is Freezeman's handy work. We think he's hiding out in Central Area. That area seems to be getting the worst of it."

"Central Area?" Roll asked concerned.

Megaman put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure Saber is fine. He can handle himself. Plus, it's just ice. Odds of Freezeman trying to take him on isn't too high; he'd rather fulfill his duty versus getting involved in random fights," But then something Protoman said caught his attention; not only his but Lan's as well.

"Dr. Sciona left?" Lan exclaimed, completely shocked.

"Yes, she's sent a resignation letter earlier this morning. But even when we tried to contact her, we found that all her information on her on the Net is gone. We have some paper trails we're following, but it seems as if maybe the good doctor isn't exactly as good as we thought. Most of the information we have on her is either falsified or leads to a dead end. And without even the money for the Transer project, it's been a mess." Chuad sighed heavily. He never liked being tricked, especially when it was by someone who he had seen on many occasions.

"So I guess that means the Transer Project is done then," Lan mumbled as Mayl put a hand on his back. Well, there went the summer.

"Sorry Lan," the red haired woman said. Despite not like Dr. Sciona, she knew how much he had wanted to work on the project.

Chaud nodded, "Yeah. My father was never really interested in the project and only allowed it since Mr. Night, who we also can't seem to find any records on anymore, gave him the money. EM Wave technology is a funny thing. We're not even sure how it affects navis yet. So until more research is done, the Transer Project will remain incomplete."

Roll and Megaman nodded. Even without the EM Waves there were enough mysteries in the Net to solve like howtheir dark souls actually harboring themselves actively in their systems had caused their physical body to "age" (actually Dr. Itumi and Dr. Hikari had to modify their frames and so they merely looked older and were a bit taller).

However, before the navis could get over the sombering note, a black orb was launched at the ground. As the three navis dropped onto the floor, their bodies slid across the ground, separating them, with the exception of Roll who stayed still because of her Glacia Merge.

"Guess my aim is still off," a red navi jeered as he walked onto the iced ground. His design reminded Megaman of his own unmodified design. However, he noted that the navi seemed to have two different symbols on him. His visor kept his face hidden from them, but his annoying smirk was already beginning to put Megaman off. It reminded him of another annoying navi, Crashman.

"Who are you?" Protoman said as he jumped back up to his feet.

"The name's Void. And I'm afraid that none of you are going to like what I'm planning to do next."

* * *

Update: Wednesday (I'm busy on Friday and won't be updating)

Ghost: I'M SO EXCITED FOR NEXT WEEK! I GET TO BUILD A FORT! Ghost501 logging out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Day 4 Part 2 – Battle of the Gods**

The red navi smirked as he turned his attention to Roll for a moment, "By the way, I suggest you start running towards Central Area. I recall hearing a certain navi giving order to Freezeman and Blizardman to hunt down another blue friend of yours. Then again, Mortis's hands are kinda tied in the moment so he has no choice in the orders he gives."

"You know Mortis?" Megaman said, as Roll's eyes widened. In truth, she was considering Void's words pretty carefully. Dark Roll had mentioned his brother sister relationship to her already and Mortis had just happened to be in the area when Roll had broken her darker half's spell for a moment.

"You could say he used to be a co-worker. But then he decided to go rogue. I would apologize for it, but if I'm being honest, I don't feel lead to. You see, right now, Mortis is like a leashed dog. He really only listens to me," Void said as he held another one of those black orbs in his hand, "By the way, I really meant what I said pinkie. Your little brother won't last very long against Freezeman. I don't really know why Mortis went through the trouble of raising Blizardman. But then, you could ask him yourself. Void Hold!" the red navi yelled as he chucked his orb in between Megaman and Roll, causing the two navis to fly backward.

"Grav Saber!" Void's right hand changed into his purple blade as he rushed Protoman.

"Grave Stake!" Megaman had barely cut away enough before several purple spikes drove out from the ground. The blue navi glared as Mortis suddenly cut into the fight. The coward had just decided to show himself.

"So finally decided to fight?" Megaman growled. Though he made a note to try and control it. Emotions like these would a good catalyst to wake up Dark Hub from his sleep and he didn't need any more trouble from him.

"Touchy? Though I would be too if I went on an animal induced rage. Perhaps you still are?" Mortis challenged, spuring him on.

"MEGAMAN!" Lan yelled in the blue navi's ear, catching the navi completely off-guard. Come to think of it, Lan had been kinda silent since Void and Mortis appeared. Looking slightly to the left and right, he noticed that both Protoman and Roll must have just had their own experiences with screaming NetOps.

"Where the heck have you been?" Megaman questioned.

"Someone's been jamming up the communication signals. We couldn't get in contact with you guys!" Lan explained, relieved that his navi could finally hear him again.

"Hmm…that's disturbing. I thought that signal would have been knocked out for a little while longer. Then again, I guess that's what I get from using programming from Dawn. Her stuff only seems to work for the first couple minutes," Mortis noted, failing to see Void's smirk. Mortis couldn't use Dawn's programming if his life depended on it. He often didn't know what he was doing since navis couldn't program and merely tried to put things together, leaving him with a mess program that was destined to fail.

"3 against 2? That seems like a mistake on your part," Roll growled as her body suit switched over to a yellow color. Mayl must have just switched her over to Voltra.

"Nope, 2 on 2. You see, the only one that needs to be here is Megaman. Protoman's just collateral. In fact, we hadn't really planned for him," Mortis sulked. At least, he hadn't planned for him. He was actually hoping for a nice 2 on 1. Much more easier to kill the navi that way and then he wouldn't have any need for Dawn's precious plan anymore, "You are not needed. Why do you think I sent Freezeman after your precious brother? I wonder if Freezeman will just delete him. Maybe Blizardman will turn him into one of those snow creature things the humans make. What are they again?"

"Well then, we're just going to have to beat you first!" Mayl argued back, though she was beginning to see his point. Even if they stopped him here, there wasn't a guarantee that the other navis wouldn't go through with the plan just because there boss was dead.

"Yes and risk your friend being naviless again? I heard she was really sad after that one navi bit the dust. You know, the one that got deleted because you two couldn't put him down—pathetic by the way. What was her name again? It rhymed with ox? But surely anything with the name of a bull couldn't be the close to the name of such a weak navi," Mortis said confused.

Megaman quickly grabbed Roll before she lunged for him, "He's just trying to get a rise out of you. Calm down!" Roll's green eyes were blazing. How dare he make fun of Tox! Unfortunately, her currently level headed boyfriend was keeping her from showing Mortis just how to spell with those chains that wrapped around him, "Look. The angrier you are, the less focused you are. Plus, you're only going to wake up Dark Roll again. Go. Help Saber. Lan and I have things over here."

The pink navi closed her eyes after Megaman spoke to her. She was beginning to feel to slightest amount of activity from her. She was still asleep, but definitely had just turned over in her sleep. Roll's eyes darted from Mortis to the exit before huffing, "Fine. But do me a favor. Make sure he doesn't jack out this time." Megaman released her from her hold as she dashed for Central Area.

"Well, someone has some leverage," Mortis snickered.

"Does this guy live just to mess with people's heads?" Lan growled, "Let's just show him who he's messing with! Battle Routine! Set!"

"Execute!"

* * *

"Grave Stake!" Mortis yelled as several more spikes drove up from the ground. The navi smirked as Megaman jumped back onto the ground to avoid being hit, "Death Panel." The entire field changed from ice to red poison panels. As the other navis stepped on them, they could feel their energy dropping twice as fast as standing on a normal poison panel.

"Mortis! What the hell!" Void yelled as his fight too was now affected by Mortis's decision. Mortis merely ignored him and continued trying to keep Megaman out of close range.

"Saber Cross! Variable Sword! Download!" Megaman's body suit didn't change incredibly much except for the fact that now his helmet, gloves, and boots had changed to a greener pallet in addition to an _X_ being placed around his chest. His hand turned into the mystical green blade. He placed the tip on the ground and shot a sonic boom. The attack belted into the ground, cracking all the panels and removing Mortis's poison from the ground directly in front of him. He would need to be fast to avoid falling down the holes that could now appear.

"Proto Cross! Program Advance! Sword! Wide Blade! Long Blade! Life Sword!" Megaman zipped up the chained navi, barely even touching any of the panels, and cut him right across the chest. Mortis looked in amazement as his chains fell to the ground. The extra speed and power of Proto Cross had given Megaman's sword enough power to break his bonds.

Mortis turned to see the navi before him, "Graveyard Chains!" the shackles rose up from the ground and wrapped around Megaman. Megaman pushed against the chains, however they were too tight. He couldn't move. His hands were out of them, so no use trying to activate his sword. Mortis swatted his arm and the chains sent him spiraling towards Protoman. The two navis feel backwards with an uncomfortable "ooph!" and back onto the poison panels.

Void turned wildly back at Mortis. Attacking him had not been part of the plan. But then again, it did allow him to feel better about this next part. Void made another orb and, neglecting Megaman and Protoman, chucked a Void Hold at Mortis. The navi barely managed to dodge the attack on the first go around, forgetting that the shot actually homed. The navi fell forwards as he got knocked from the back. Turning back to his other two enemies, he opened his palm and dropped a small orb on the ground, "Void Held".

Megaman, Protoman, and Mortis tried their best to resist the pull of the orb, but it was so powerful. "Megaman! Lock Shot 3! Download! Destroy that thing!" Megaman's hand swapped over to an army green buster. The navi took aim quickly and fired. Unfortunately, he had fired too late. Void already had them right where he wanted them.

"Void Hole!" The vacuum appeared right behind Mortis, pulling him in. Working fast, Void pulled out his saber and knocked back Megaman. He then turned to challenge Protoman and thanks to a well-timed Void Hold, sent him flying into the hole as well. Void turned to Megaman as his dimension closed. He would only be able to keep those two in there for a few moments. He had to work fast. Dawn told him that all he needed was one nitch. One hit and it was bye bye, Megaman.

"RAAH!" Void yelled as he charged. His saber turned into a crimson color and he slashed. Megaman raised his own sword, but it shattered at the force Void slammed it upon the blade. The blade sliced Megaman on his hand before it turned back into his purple color.

"Aggh!" Megaman winced, holding his hand as data began to leak out of the wound. His hand felt like it had been lit on fire. He had been slashed by swords before, but this one felt different. No matter now, he needed to get rid of this guy now! He gritted his teeth as he looked to charge the red navi again, the pain becoming less. However, Void merely snapped his fingers and the portal behind him opened, releasing Protoman and Mortis. He smirked at Megaman, "We'll be seeing each other again…soon. And just to show you just how much I'm willing to commit to our little game."

Void turned back to Mortis, who had been weakened by the Black Hole Network's power, "You shouldn't have attacked me Mortis. Then again, I think we both saw this coming. A good ally you were not. A useful tool, you will continue to be." Mortis hadn't even seen Void rush him with his saber, piercing through his navi symbol. As the reviver's data collapsed, it was absorbed into Void. Megaman and Protoman gaped with mouths wide and the quick action. He…he just deleted Mortis. Weren't they working together?

Void twisted his face for a second and soon there was nothing left of Mortis, "Know that he's out of the way. I guess you should go check up on your little girlfriend. Until we meet again, Megaman. Or perhaps…not," Void said as he jacked out of the network. Mission complete.

* * *

Megaman dashed for Central Area. Protoman had decided to stay behind after Chaud mentioned the fact that more navis could have been summoned to attack SciLab, seeing as Central Area seemed to be only a distraction for Roll. Mayl had decided to take a trip out to Saria's house to make sure that the girl and Saber were alright a while back. He had almost made it too. The opening had been in his sight. That was until a single buster shot made a small crater in the ground.

No. Way. Now?

"This could be bad…" Lan said, knowing there was only one navi who had a buster that powerful. Bass hovered into view.

"Bass, I don't have time for this!" Megaman answered back. The navi had been seen a couple of times. Megaman had always believed that the navi would come back looking for a fight. Why now? He didn't know. He just knew that he needed to get to Roll.

"If you are truly ready, then this shouldn't take long at all." Bass said, "We have been at this for too long. The fight you are trying to see should be over soon enough anyway. Megaman, this time, I will delete you!"

"Crap! He's not giving us much of an option!" Lan quickly switched over to a different chip folder. It wasn't completely full proof, but it was one that had been crafting for particularly bad situations. Perhaps luck was shining down on them since the Net seemed to be warming back up again. The ice under Megaman's feet was melting into nothing.

"When does he ever? Ready?" Megaman sighed.

"As always! Battle routine! Set!"

"Execute!"

* * *

"Gregar Beast Out! Super Vulcan! Attack +30! Download!" Megaman's armor began to bulk up and soon took the form of the cybeast Gregar. The navi bounced up into the air and fired the yellow machine gun type weapon.

"M-Buster Rake!" Bass yelled as two shots. The first shot took the blow of the first set off bullets while the next one sniped the weapon and jammed it, rendering it useless. Megaman landed back on the ground and speed forward at his rival. The navi threw punch after claw at Bass but none of his attacks seemed to connect. Bass's aura protected him from the claw swipes and he parried the punches. Megaman placed one more kick at his chest, causing both navis to move back.

"Dark Arm Blade!" Bass's hand turned into a purple blade as he rushed Megaman.

"Elec Blade! Download!" Megaman's used his own blade to block Bass's attack as the two fought. Sparks flew everywhere as each warrior gave it all they had. Bass would have smirked if he hadn't been so busy fighting. This was what he wanted. No one but Megaman could ever hope to even try and match him. He was the only one who made this enjoyable! But yet, things had to come to an end. As Megaman slashed again, Bass avoided the attack and brought his elbow down on the blade, breaking it.

However, Megaman rebounded back by bringing his claw around at the same time. The black navi earned a claw rake for his mistake. Bass moved back, clutching his face. Megaman's claw must have broken through the aura for a temporary second after being in such close range. After all, he was using the power of the first cybeast. Unexpected glitches could be expected. Plus, he could work through the pain. He had done so for years.

Bass's hand morphed into his the head of Falzar, "Falzar Storm!" He roared as the bird cawed, releasing a stream of wind that blew Megaman backwards. Megaman dug deep into the ground, he wasn't going to be pushed around by this attack. The wind was sharp and slashed in different places, but Gregar's armor was keeping him safe from being under too much pain.

Megaman pulled out his Gregar Vulcan and stared firing. He had at least been successful in getting Bass to stop with the Falzar blasting. The black navi flew up into the air, probably looking for another attack spot.

"Program Advance! Spreader 3! Triple Download! Hyper Burst!" Megaman's arm turned into a spreader weapon and he fired just in the nick of time. Bass stumbled back, a Hell's Rolling at full charge in his hand. He had been paralyzed for only a second. How the hell had he countered him?

"Now Megaman! Double Beast! Download!" Lan said, taking advantage of the full synchro between him and his navi.

"GRAAHH!" Megaman growled as another him appeared in Falzar form. The bird beast was glowing white; Lan and him could only use such summon chips effectively in Full Synchro. The two beast out navis rushed at Bass, unleashing their full strength upon the God of Destruction. When they were done with him and the F Beast faded, and left Bass clutching his arm for a moment. He was hurt. Not down, but damaged.

"Now, Megaman! Let's finish this!"

"Right!" Megaman said, ready to rush Bass again. Except…something was wrong. He could feel himself breathing hard. He had thought earlier it was just because he had been running so much, but now it was actually beginning to hurt. The beast out navi coughed a minute, trying to catch his breath. Could he even catch his breath?

"Megaman? Megaman, what's wrong!" Lan asked hurriedly as he noticed that Megaman's energy levels were dropping drastically. The Beast Out deactivated; Megaman had been unable to hold the power together.

"Can't *wheeze* breath *cough*" Megaman barely got out. Everywhere was beginning to hurt. He was seeing spots. His hand ached, the uncomfortable fire was blazing now. Wait his hand! Void! He must have done something to him! But…what could he have done to him?

"Hmph," Bass said as he hovered over them and charged a Nightmare Overload, "I guess one of us had to sputter out in the end. Shame. I was actually hoping this battle would continue. But, it's time to end this! Say hello to deletion, Megaman!"

"Megaman! Get out of the way!" Lan yelled, as several of his PET commands were beginning to fail. Something was serious wrong with his brother! Even the device itself was busy trying to figure out what was going on!

Bass fired.

Megaman couldn't move. He felt his body sieze up on him. The only time he felt like this was…no…no that couldn't be possible. No, he didn't have his disease anymore! This wasn't possible! The navi closed his eyes, hoping that being deleted wasn't as painful as he last remembered it. However, at the last second, he felt someone push him out of the way. As the blast cratered the world around them, Megaman cracked opened his eye to see who saved him. It was Roll! She looked like she was wearing more a dark green color hoodie over top a greener body suit, but it was her!

"Hmph, maybe you weren't ready," Bass said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. As he looked out at the pathetic scene in front of him.

"Mega? Mega! Hub! What's wrong?" Roll asked frantically as the navi seemed to be slipping in and out of unconsciousness. She quickly put a hand over his navi emblem. Her eyes widened as she say the state of his data, "Lan! Jack him out now! Something's wrong with his core data!"

"I can't! The PET is bugging up!" Lan responded hurriedly.

Roll wasted no time trying to pick up the navi, slinging an arm over her neck. He was heavier than her, but he needed help, "Mayl! Can you get Saria to send Saber? I need some help trying to move him!" She turned her attention back to Megaman who was making a pained face, "Hang on, Hub. Please."

She looked over to see Bass making a somewhat bored expression. He really didn't feel like dealing with the situation in front of him. But it was below him to waste time deleting such weaklings for no reason. _'I wonder what happened to him,'_ Bass couldn't help but think. He sighed and jacked out of the network. It would mean nothing to delete Megaman while his core data was a mess.

No, he would delete him at his strongest to prove that _he_ was the strongest navi in creation. Anything less and even he himself would feel the urge to call himself pathetic. And pathetic was not something he was.

* * *

Update: Monday

*building fort and turns to audience* Sorry everyone, I was sorta getting a head start on a place of protection against the angry mobs that'll come at me next week for what I'm bout to do next. Note, if you read the title, you'll instantly now what I'm talking about. (By the way, DN5 is possibly worse in terms of escalations). Hehehehe...Ghost501 logging out!


	10. Chapter 10

**Favoriters/Followers:** Raikim4never, xXTheLegendXx

**Review Responses:**

**terratasha: **Well...shoot yeah you're right it all is pretty obvious. *sighs* Well, I tried. But yeah, now we begin the a whole new channel of craziness in the Double NEetwork Saga called well...you'll just have to wait and see what their demands are. XD

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**Day 5 Part 1 – Huge Bug Disaster**

It had taken Mayl almost a full hour to make it past the SciLab security. Everyone was confused after Freezeman had not only frozen the Net, but had also the doors that allowed people in and out of SciLab. With the fire a few years ago, SciLab had become more and more of a hot spot in terms of its _lack_ of protection. The red haired woman took a breath as she finally got into the elevator taking her up to Dr. Hikari's lab. She had been at first heading back to ACDC, but later had been told that Megaman would need to be taken back to SciLab. Something began to gnaw at her heart. Was this that bad feeling she had a couple weeks ago?

As she stepped through the doors, she quickly rushed over to the small back office where both Lan and Dr. Hikari were huddled around. Each of the Hikari males seemed to barely notice her, deeply engrossed in what they were trying to do. Mayl knocked on the wall, afraid to completely startle them by walking up behind them. Dr. Hikari didn't seem to jump but turned around, as if expecting someone. She noticed that face seemed to frown a little more when he realized it was her at the door.

"Oh Mayl, hello," he quickly answered before turning around to continue searching through some code.

Lan made an uneasy face as he walked up to his girlfriend and hugged her, "He doesn't mean it. It's…not that good around here."

Mayl nodded, understanding. Megaman was Dr. Hikari's son; it couldn't be helped that the man was so stressed out over him, "What's wrong with him?" She asked.

The brunette blew a breath of air, "We don't know. He seemed to be fine coming back from the fight with Void and then all his energy literally dropped during the fight with Bass. It could be a virus, but he's passed all the tests so far and dad's searching through his main core for errors."

"Did he find any?" Mayl asked, remembering Roll mentioning that earlier. The pink navi had stayed by Megaman's side since she and Saber had brought him here. Unfortunately, Saber had to return back to Saria, who really wouldn't have been able to make her way through SciLab security anyway. The girl had gone on a hike earlier and had slipped on some of the terrain. She was alright for the most part, but she really wasn't supposed to be moving on that sprained ankle too much yet. Plus, she was getting used to the crutches.

Lan scoffed, not at Mayl but at the situation itself, "They're all over the place. It's like his systems decided to collectively crash all at once, but not enough to kill him. We had to put him in a Dark Mode just so that we can look through his data."

"Dark Mode?" Mayl asked. Considering their history, she wasn't sure how much trust she would put in that.

Lan made a forced laugh, "It's nothing bad. It's just one of the most powerful Sleep Modes we can put a navi in. We're trying to find the source of the bug, but that would lie deep in his System Core. It's like surgery. You get knocked out for all the invasive stuff and any minor detail they just numb you to the pain."

"Oh," Mayl said, internally proud of her boyfriend for his through explanation. There had been a time where she was almost not certain that he wanted to be a scientist, but Lan had done a lot of growing up over the years, "Roll's still by him right?"

"Yeah. We had to have her back up a bit since her even touching him may be dangerous right now. The virus could be contagious but worse off it that it might distract dad." The brunette explained as his girlfriend hugged him. The boy made a soft smile before accepting the embrace and hugging back.

"It'll be okay."

A few seconds later, the statement seemed to be almost as false as saying that light and dark where the same thing. Megaman gripped the ground hard, someone breaking past the supposed sleep he was supposed to be in and roared. The two NetOps rushed back over to the computer while Roll screamed in surprised and Dr. Hikari worked to try and put Megaman back to sleep. The noise sounded like an animal dying and ripped at everyone's hearts. While it had only been half a minute before he stopped and went back to sleep, the room didn't move in what felt like an eternity.

Dr. Hikari sighed heavily, "Unbelievable. Whatever this virus is, it's even managed to affect the Cybeast. But from the sound of it, Gregar is not doing much better than Megaman," The man slammed his fist at the computer, shocking both Mayl and Lan since he was not one to display any kind of anger or annoyance in this manner before.

The doctor took a breath before looking back at the two young adults, "Sorry everyone. It's just that I'm not any closer to figuring out what this virus is doing to him. I only know that whatever it is, it's causing his System Core data to decay," the doctor sucked in air, "I give it four weeks before he falls apart."

Mayl gasped as she noticed her navi collapse to her knees. Lan however, seemed to take the news the worst, "What do you mean fall apart?" He asked shakily, almost as if he was afraid to know the answer.

"I mean…" the doctor started before he saw one of the assistants at the mouth of the office, "Oh good, Diane. You have the files?" He asked, somewhat relieved. At least he would be able to restore several sections of Hub to extend his life. It was a little known fact that both Tadashi and Yuichiro Hikari had both attempted to mess with the order of placing humanity in the cyber world. However, the difference was Tadashi used himself as his own experiment while Yuichiro used his son.

The small woman cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, doctor. But those files you wanted me to get, they don't exist in this database. Or in any of them actually." The doctor's face fell as she explained, "I'm not doubting they exist; but when I went to the archives, there weren't any records there at all. Even when I tried to look in the area you told me too. Actually, that's why I came up here myself. Your Navi Project folder…it's gone."

Dr. Hikari resisted the urge to slam the table once more. He had expected them to do something after he had been suspended, but they hadn't. So when had SciLab gone back and removed the files? Worse off, they had removed _everything_. The man gave a shuddered breath, "Thank you, Diane. You can go."

The dark haired woman nodded before heading back to the elevator. The room didn't speak until Lan broke the silence, "Dad? What's going on?"

The man shook his head as he set the scanner to from manual to automatic. He didn't know why he felt the need to do the programs job when he himself had coded it. But maybe, it was to ensure that no mistakes had been made. Unlike when he had grafted Hub's DNA into code.

"I never told you or Hub the full story about my project. As you all know, I placed Hub's DNA into Megaman's System Core and as a result brought his soul into the cyber world. But that wasn't where the tale ended. They suspended me after they had learned of how Megaman was created. You see, during the time when I completed the project, many people began to question about the morality of the project. More so, they began to fear the product of it. People asked how the navi would feel as a human in a virtual world. Or what if that human soul was to be evil and took over the Net using the body. Not many people knew about my research and even fewer were happy with my decision to go behind everyone's back and use my own son.

"What you just saw was the after effects of this project. Imagine if people knew what my project had done. People would cause an uproar. The only reason they didn't destroy my files because I had begged them not to. I thought they would keep them in the archives, at least among all the clutter they have down there. But apparently, someone decided it was time to have them moved so that no one could find them."

The man gave a heavy sigh, "I was at least hoping to use Gramp's Note and try and restore Megaman, but even that has been moved. Sometimes, I wonder why they just didn't fire me; but I guess they'd rather punish me by watching my son die for a second time." Dr. Hikari turned back towards the screen, somewhat afraid to look at his other son but more so because he wanted to see Hub.

Was all this a crime? Did it make him a bad person to actually take the chance to save his son from the unfair hold of death and give him a chance at life? Would it have just been better for everyone if he had left his son to die? Dr. Hikari wasn't a man who had handled death too easily. Had it not been for his father's note to Lan, he might have actually cracked under the emotion of it all. Every time his sons got into danger, he worried for both of them. He had always wondered whether or not they would make it out alive. And at times where they were at their worst, he sometimes lost the distinction between son and navi.

Hub was his son, but yet he wasn't human. At least not human in the sense that everyone expected him to be. He had feelings but he was not constrained by them. If he needed to, he could swallow his own need and do what was better for everyone, especially his NetOp. Thus he was a navi. And now, as Hub was on a death bed once again, he returned back to his question that he had tried to throw aside when he had digitized Hub's DNA.

Had it been the right thing to do?

The only upside to the conversion was that Hub could live without HBD… Wait…no he hadn't been free of the disease. A tiny piece of Hub's DNA had etched too hard into his System Core and prevented a few things from expressing themselves right, like eye color. But what if…

The others watched as the doctor proceeded to type in an area location for the program to check. His face fell as he saw the program light up red. Lan, who had been shaken out of his stupor by the noise of a successful find, walked up to the computer again with Mayl in tow, "Hey, it found the bug!" He said happily as his father typed in a few words lifelessly.

"Dr. Hikari?" Mayl asked as the doctor's face seemed to fall once again.

"What kind of monster does this?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Dad?"

"Something went wrong when I put Hub's DNA into Megaman. A byte out of place. The DNA engraved too much into his system. I thought that this would only affect his eye color. But it seems to have had a lot more inside it. The amount of information in a single piece of human DNA is amazing," Dr. Hikari turned to his son.

"Whoever sent Void knows about Megaman's data extensively. They…they made a virus to specifically reactivate this part of his DNA. I guess what I'm trying to saw is that…Megaman has HBD. It's what is causing all these errors because the programs can't handle this human disease. What's worse is that the virus itself is locked in so deep that I can't do a thing about it. It needs a deactivation code in order to stop its unraveling. If I can figure it out, I can save Hub. But if I can't…"

Everyone felt the knee to the gut, but Mayl had been to only one able to speak, "Megaman dies."

And just cruel of fate—or had someone been waiting for this moment—the sound of an email blasted in everyone's ears. Mayl looked down at her PET and had half a mind not to open the file. Except for the heading grabbing her attention.

_HBD Antivirus._

What the? As she opened the file, she couldn't help but read it aloud, "To the dear humans reading this message, I see that you've finally figured out just what our master has done to your beloved Megaman. Well, we actually have a cure. Meet us in Undernet 4 in twenty minutes. Don't be late. Wheeee."

"It's a trap. Has to be." Dr. Hikari said, still too slightly stunned to not point out the obvious.

"We know. And we're going." Roll said, speaking for the first time since bringing Hub back to SciLab. Her hands were balled up into a fist tightly. It was safe to say that she was more than likely very _very_ angry.

Mayl nodded at her partner as Roll took one last look at the navi lying down at the ground before racing off towards the link towards the Net. Whoever thought that this was a good idea was going to pay. But something did disturb Mayl. Where did she hear that last sentence from? It was familiar, but not very since it must have been years ago when she last heard some saw "whee" like that. She shook her head; she would find out soon enough.

* * *

Update: Friday

Ghost: *eye twitches* I hate this guy. I remember being a little kid fighting and wondering why I couldn't beat him. It just wasn't fair in the beginning. And then Duo happened and that took a day to beat and gahhhhhh!...Oh wait, you all are still here. Hehhehheh, that's awkward. Anypanel, that's all for today folks! Oh, and I'm sensing something new coming next week...

**Megaman Double Network Epilogue: Soul Awakening November 24th **


	11. Chapter 11

**Review Responses:**

**terratasha: **I occasionally do such things for the people. They tend not to like me for them though. XD Anypanel, week's over and now the truth shall be revealed!

* * *

**Day 5 Part 2 – Looking For A Doctor And Found A Vampire Instead**

Void was upset. No, he was beyond angry. After all the trouble he had gone through in the past couple of hours, he knew that that navi had to be around here. He didn't go anywhere! No, he had found Bass in the Undernet and the Undernet is where he should be! But now, he had spent the past few hours searching for the elusive navi. His only comfort was knowing that Megaman had been placed out of commission. Why they were bothering with curing their own virus, only Dawn knew.

Speaking of which. Void paused, and turned around to check to make sure no one was there. Clearly Bass wasn't going to make himself known for a while, if at all. Maybe he was in the wrong area of the Undernet. Considering all this, Void decided that this was the best chance of looking at the file. He held out his hand as Dawn's profile came into being. As he opened the documents, his eyes went everywhere but seemed to focus more on his sentence in the nuthouse.

As he read, he began to see more and more about Dawn's current behavior. This deadline she was talking about. However, reading the secrets of the documents unnerved him. They seemed to deal a lot about technology. It made him wonder whether or not Dawn actually liked him or not.

It had started off nice enough. Dawn had graduated the top of her class from some university in Electopia, majoring in computer systems. Meaning that she had extensive knowledge in the PET systems and how they interacted with the navis, but not necessarily how to make a navi. Though at the time, such a system was more than likely still experimental since the creation of the PET and Net Navi was only about 2 years old at the time.

For the most part, things seem to go down the drain during the Alpha incident several years ago. Her husband had been a technician for the military at the time when the new tanks were being upgrade. At the facility he worked at, when Alpha took over their programing, there had been an accident. Apparently one of the bots had gone out of control and opened fire on some pipes and much of the building had been destroyed. Among the dead was Mr. Silverlight.

The following year, her navi had been deleted by own of the out of control dark navis when those transmitters had been placed all over ACDC. She had apparently been visiting her son, who later moved out of the area and was actually the one who suggestion that she get medical help. A few months later, her daughter had been injured during the whole Aquarium incident. She had been trying to stop a child from falling into the shark infested waters and had fallen victim to them herself. There hadn't been a report of any deaths during Black Beard's trial because she had died a few days after the sentencing. She apparently lived for about two weeks in a hospital before her body gave up.

He probably would have thrown up if he didn't skip over the pictures (that and besides the fact he was a navi and didn't really have much of a gag reflex in the first place). Apparently, the person who made the file was very through with understanding their patient.

After that losing her daughter and husband, the woman seemed to unravel into an insane spiral. Her son had her put into professional care after she had almost killed herself and him after he tried to stop her. She had been a straightjacket for around, two or so years before her death. But how could she be dead when she was at her computer typing away? Unless…

He pried open one more file, the autopsy report. What the...? There wasn't one! He flipped the file head once or twice more before realizing that the sheet really wasn't there to begin with! But without that sheet, no one could verify the death...certificate? Void squinted harder at the image file in front of him. He shook his head and he looked at it, kinda impress. That was one good forgery. But then who and why? And how the hell would a human survive a fall like that and be able to mark herself as dead? Seems like her insanity wasn't the only thing that was crazy about her. She was just one massive conundrum!

Void snapped the file shut as he suddenly felt like he was being watched. As he looked around, he realized there was no one in sight. So, that meant he was safe...right?

Great, and now he was both frustrated _and_ paranoid.

* * *

"My my. Haven't you turned into a more mouthwatering desert?" Shademan said as the pink navi walked to the meeting spot.

Roll sneered, remembering the navi. Not one of her more pleasant experience. And she really didn't appreciate the look he was giving her. If he wasn't the one who had the information about Hub's possible cure, she probably would have already fired a Roll Arrow already (if not for being annoying, but for the stare he was giving her).

"Hmm, someone doesn't seem to be in a good mood. That wouldn't have anything to do with the blue brat passed out on the floor of a SciLab computer would it?" Shademan "asked". He already knew everything; he just wanted to tick off the pink one. It would serve her right being such a difficult part of his meal.

"Roll, calm down," Mayl said as her navi snarled. An angry Roll was already something of a rarity on a normal day to day basis. Then again, today hadn't been very normal. The red haired woman tried to think two steps ahead of the navi in front of her. Someone had to be watching through one of the cameras in SciLab, so no real surprise that Shademan already knew about Megaman's condition. But what was bothering her was the fact that Shademan was standing before them. Hadn't Mortis been deleted by Void?

"And so she speaks. You weren't much of a talker back in the day," Shademan commented, tilting his head as if he even cared to remember the first time he tried to make the pink navi his desert. Her NetOp was so great! Frantically trying to get back in contact with her navi. Fear was such a great appetizer.

Mayl frowned. That was another thing. The raised deleted navis never spoke. So why was he, "I grew up. So about this program to save Megaman." They weren't going to get anyway if they kept up this pointless banter all day.

"Oh yes, the sick child. Well, here's the thing. Void isn't willing to give up to program until you do something for us first. Wheee." Shademan said, liking that for the first time he had the upper hand.

"And what is it?" Roll seethed.

"Oh nothing. Just that we just so happen to be looking for the Navi Project files and couldn't find them at SciLab. We could find the main office pretty easily, but why us have to do the grunge work. The heads' base is off the Oran Island. Which island is up to you to find. Break in and give us the files. Then we give you your brat's precious little shut down sequence."

"But that's as good as giving you Megaman himself!" Lan yelled.

"Whee…that's the point. You win and we win. It wouldn't make much sense for us to storm in there and lose soldiers. And it doesn't make sense for you to lose Megaman. Whee." Shademan smirked.

"But we have more to lose." Roll clarified. Breaking into SciLab was definitely a crime. And if the Navi Project files were so sensitive, who knew how far SciLab would go to make sure that the files were never found or released.

"So? You want your blue brat back or not?" Shademan said.

The room paused for a moment. "How long do we have?" Mayl asked. Void was putting them in a corner. They're only hope out of this mess would probably be Roll and her going into SciLab themselves. But they would more than likely be caught somehow and then who knew what would happen to them after that.

"Void's a nice guy. He'll give you three weeks. Although, if it we're me. I wouldn't even give you this option. After all, blue boy deserves to squirm after deleting me for the what is it, third time now. I wonder how he's doing now. Coughing up data? Oh right! He can't even breathe right!"

A second after uttering the comment, Shademan almost missed an arrow by a hair. Roll was well over her limit now. Even her eyes had started to darken, which only made Shademan happier, "Oh someone's got themselves a dark soul, don't they? Whee…things really have changed."

"Shut it, bug frag," Roll growled, though whether or not it was her or Dark Roll talking was debatable. The two were in a similar mindset at the moment.

"Well, someone's trying to be sour," Shademan said and snapped his fingers. Instantly, Roll was blasted by several meteors that fell towards the ground. Someone else was here, "Now, before I leave you my dear, just remember. You only have three weeks to make your decision. If we see you're not making progress, we'll come to look for you and remind you about your only concern. After all, blue boy is counting on you for once. Don't screw it up." The navi said before disappearing in the form of bats and fluttering out on the Net.

Roll shook her head, at least the blast had seemed to cancel out Dark Roll's temporary hold on her. Though the dark soul was grumbling quite a bit now. It would be a while before she went back to sleep. As Roll got up, she noticed the attack had been star shaped meteors.

"Starman, has to be." Lan grumbled as Dr. Hikari got up.

"I work on trying to appeal to the board. Breaking into SciLab is a very unwise thing to do, for both of you." Dr. Hikari said hurriedly before leaving.

"Jack out, Roll. We're done for today," Mayl sighed before looking back at Lan, "Odds of your father actually being able to convince those guys of doing anything?"

Lan shook his head, "Not good. But let's give him some time. Stranger miracles have happened. I'm going to go check up on my dad; can you and Roll watch Hub?" He asked.

Mayl gave him a soft bump, "Do you even have to ask? Go, we'll make sure nothing happens."

Lan chuckled and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek before he walked off. As the red haired girl turned to her navi, she could feel the weight of the situation hit hard. They were going to be counting on her and Roll to save Hub. Although they had done so the summer before their freshman year, this situation felt…different. Maybe it was because of the resurrection of the HBD. Maybe it was just the fact that now, they were the ones dealing with the enemy.

"Mayl." The voice jolted Mayl out of her thoughts and she turned to see Roll sitting a few feet away from Megaman, still unsure about how close she could get, "You don't have to go with me. I mean, only one of us needs to get in trouble. Just download a couple of chips."

Mayl shook her head, "We're a team Roll. That means, if you get in trouble, I get in trouble. But like Lan said, give Dr. Hikari some time to try and figure things out."

Roll sighed, "Yeah…" All of this secrecy, just to save the life of a dying child. Roll closed her eyes. She didn't want Mayl to go with her. She had the most to lose out of all this. She was the one who could go to jail and lose her life. Roll closed her eyes, she loved Mayl. She really did. But sometimes she wished that perhaps she was the same old navi before a few years ago. Maybe then, all this would have never happened. Granted, she hadn't had too much to do with the events of today, but it was still a thought.

"Hey, you would do the same for me if it was Lan in Megaman's place right?" Mayl asked.

Roll paused for a moment. Not because of the answer she knew she would give, but because of the realization, "Of…course." The red haired woman smirked as she saw her navi put the pieces together, "You're the best, you know that?" The pink navi asked.

"Yeah, I know." Mayl smiled back. No matter what, Hub was going to get better.

* * *

Dr. Hikari had been standing outside, trying to breathe in some of the fresh night air. Unfortunately, each breath only felt like swallowing sharp glass. He wanted to start on his letter to the board, but his mind was too clouded to even focus on a sentence. He hadn't even told Haruka yet about Hub. What would she say about this news? Would she even be able to say anything at all?

"Dad?" Dr. Hikari turned to see Lan standing a few feet behind him.

"Lan, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. You alright?" He asked.

His son took in a breath, "Why didn't you tell us? Does mom even know about this?"

Dr. Hikari dropped his head. This conversation had been the one thing he had been dreading for years, "No, mom doesn't know. No one knew about the grafted piece of DNA until today. She suspected it had something to do with the Navi Project when I told her about the suspension, but I always told her it was top secret work. I didn't think anyone would ever know and I would be able to tell you all on my own time. I guess fate just has a way of dealing with things."

"That doesn't answer my question. Did Hub even know?" Lan questioned further. He was frustrated. He was tired of all the secrecy behind his brother's extended life. He wanted answers and he was going to get them.

"No. No one knew. If I told anyone, they would only worry."

"Yeah, because extending the lifespan of a person behind everyone's back doesn't make people worry either."

"Look! I was not losing anyone to that thing!" Dr. Hikari yelled. Lan was taken aback. His father rarely ever yelled, "I'm sorry. It's just that I couldn't lose anyone again to that damn disease. Your grandfather on your mother's side passed the same way that Hub did. He was one of the finest men I ever knew. And to sit there and watch him die as painfully as he did was about the worst thing I could have ever seen in my life. I couldn't allow one of my own sons to go through the same.

"I had the means and resources and I took it, not thinking of the consequences. Through the suspension and even through all the ridicule. It took forever to build back up the Hikari name after what I did. The board almost fired me, saved by one vote. However, the reality only set in once you left to stop the Life Virus. It seemed to all be like all some kind of bad dream until the moment I called to tell you about Hub. But by then, I wasn't able to stop it.

"So I decided to delay and delay until the danger was over and you were old enough. Though I still have no plan about how I'm going to tell your mother," the doctor spoke. He wasn't the man the world forecasted him to be. He was weak and irrational. Everything inside him had told him to say the full truth, but yet the stalling was all that ever came out.

"And how old was going to be old enough?" Lan asked, not wanting to know the answer.

"A little after college. Just old enough, so that when you started hating me, I could have at least seen the man would become. The man who would surpass me." Yuichiro said.

The two stood in silence as his words seemed to echo in their ears. Lan wasn't sure he heard correctly. His father thought that he would hate him. The brunette looked at his father. Uncertainty filled his head. He didn't hate him and he trusted him with about 80% of his being, damaged by the new turn of events. But his father had tried to be there for him in the only way he knew. Plus, carrying around all this baggage had to take its toll on anyone. He had held up for 21 years before finally telling it all. At least Lan hoped that was all.

"So that's everything?" he asked, hoping to believe the answer he was given.

Dr. Hikari sighed, "Yes. If there is anymore, then someone else must know something I don't. I'm sorry, Lan. This is all my fault."

"It is," Lan started, "But maybe that's a good thing. If it wasn't for Hub, then maybe Wily would be ruling the world by now. In the very least, I probably wouldn't have gotten the chance to go out with Mayl. So, while I don't like how you handled the after effects, I don't hate you. I guess I can understand why you tried to hide it. But enough with the secrets. We've got enough problems without 'em." The brunette smirked before his father showed a face of disbelief.

"I…thank you, Lan." He said as his son allowed him to hug him.

Lan looked up to his dad, "The first way you make it up to me is telling mom. Then, we work on that letter to the board."

Dr. Hikari laughed, "Yes, I suppose so. I wonder if your mother may put me in the dog house for this one."

"Maybe. I'll bring out a pillow if she does." The two men laughed with each other as they walked back into SciLab. The truth had finally been out. Now, it was just time to put the pieces back together.

* * *

Update: Wednesday

Ghost: And there you have it folks, a little bit of Hikari family-ness. Hmm, I think that was the first serious interaction between Dr. Hikari and Lan that I've done so far. Wow...and it took 3.5 installments to do. Interesting...that was not planned and it means nothing, I was just pointing something out. XD Anyway, that's it for this week. And Day 6 is only one part so the update is Wed. But...you all have this to read on Monday!

**Megaman Double Network Epilogue: Soul Awakening ** coming out November 14th, 2014!

Oh, and I opened an profile! So I'll be answering questions there, I reserve the right to not ask your question but just as it's not too personal odds are that I will. ask . fm / MCGhost501


	12. Chapter 12

**Mainstream DN Contest: Deadline: January 11th, 2015**

* * *

**Day 6 – Agitation Is Not Good For The Soul**

Shademan was feeling pretty pleased with himself as he watched the doctor get scolded at by the various members of the board. He knew that the board would never go for it. They hated the existence of Megaman too much to allow his father to so easily save him. And now due to the sudden interest, there were going to be many more guards for the pink navi to make her way through. Hmm, he wondered how she would fair. Deleted on sight or barely making it by the skin of her teeth and forced to live as an outcast for the rest of her life. Either way, he won.

The vampire navi turned himself back into his bat form and began to flutter out of the Net area. It wouldn't do himself any good to make his boss angry at him for being late to their meeting. As Shademan reconfigured himself in the Elec Tower comp, he was reminded of just how his first meeting with the blue navi had gone. It wouldn't have been so bad if that upstart Protoman hadn't shown up. At least then he would have had a moment to at least delete one of them.

Shademan turned his head to see Starman, Plantman, and Judgeman standing around. He didn't recall them also being invited into this meeting. Finally, in his oh so spectacular fashion, Void jacked into the network. As much as he hated to kiss up to the dependent navi, he had to at least thank Void for raising him again from that miserable Graveyard Area. However, he couldn't help but notice the navi's stance. Void looked quite furious today didn't he? Must have gotten yelled at by his operator. Apparently, she had done a surprise inspection on him to check to see how his battle functions were doing and found something he had been trying to hide.

It had been nice to not have the navi in his ear for the few days he had been out of commission. Though with that spiderlike device on his back now, he was wondering just what the heck Void had down to piss of his NetOp. Shademan cleared his throat, "Void."

"Shut it, vampire." Void growled. To be fair to him, the device was watching his every move and would alert Dawn if he did something…out of character. The damned thing was actually part of his design now; and yes, it did have fangs. Two digitally encoded spikes with codes to immediately terminate his functions and cause his deletion. But the worst part was that Void found himself beginning to side with Mortis. Not for the reason he left, but the action of leaving.

As much as he refused to believe it, he was just a means to an end. He wasn't any more special than any other model she had ever created. Actually, he was somewhat different in the fact that she hadn't killed him yet. Dawn was the kind of woman who put all her useless junk into a furnace and never looked twice to see the smoke rise. However, for some reason, he was being dangled above the fire. Enough to feel the heat, but not enough to catch the flame.

"Urk," Void growled as the spider once again embedded itself into him. He had no idea what the stupid thing was doing, but ever since his reboot the thing had been trying to assimilate itself into his frame. Why Dawn didn't just code the stupid thing in him, he didn't know. Maybe this was her way of reminding him that he was always watching.

The other navis merely watched in silence as their "savior" gritted his teeth and gave a glare to no one in particular. This was indeed a strange day. But it had been strange ever since their data had been reconfigured from the grave.

Void managed to compose himself and stared hard at Shademan, "Well…"

Shademan looked at the navi confused, "Well what."

"Where are the files?"

"What files?"

"The Navi Project files you imbecile!" Void said pulling his saber from out of the air and jamming it under his throat. The red navi turned his head to the others, "Where are they! I told you to get them to be by the end of last week and even though I've been out, you should have already gotten them!"

"Whee…about that," Shademan started, "Whee…wouldn't it be better to give them a chance to feel the impact of their decision? To work towards a chance to save their friend where there isn't one. And leave them with absolutely—" Shademan didn't get a chance to speak because Void had already placed his saber into him.

"I gave you an order. A direct order to have the Navi Project in my hands by last week. And you give me a script of a sob story…pathetic. But don't worry, I do have a use for you. See, I had planned on giving them the deactivation code when they completed my little quest. What good will any of this be if I can't delete Megaman myself. But…I think that maybe that little UnderHeal program on yours may do wonders for me. After all, I can't challenge the God of Destruction without a back up plan." Void threw on orb underneath Shademan.

The gravity of the Void Hole began to pull the navi in as Void withdrew the saber and quickly stabbed it into his navi symbol. The vampire feel into the "server" area as his data dissipated and Void absorbed the program. The navi turned his wild eyes to the other navis as the Void Hole closed, "Anyone else like to piss me off today?"

All three navis shook their heads.

"Good, Judgeman go tell our little friend that she has exactly 60 hours to get me my data. That ought to give her enough time to develop some type of plan. It would do us no good if she came in with the Officials on her tail. Starman, try and find our shark headed friend for us will you? Give him the time and place of our meeting with Roll in two days. Something tells me he would be very interested in hearing that his rival is ill. Maybe it would be our little way of attracting him. Plantman…do something other than stand there. I'm beginning to wonder why I even raised you anyway."

"Yes sir!" All three navis said as they jacked out of the network.

Void drew an unneeded breath as they left. Was his logic function failing or did he seem a bit more angry than normal? In truth, he was irritated over the attachment. But...wait…he had told Shademan to set the time for two weeks. Meaning that he should have killed him for not having the files by the end of the next couple of days. And he had risen Plantman for battle support reasons. Why hadn't he remembered that?

The red navi turned his head as far as he could to see the device on his back. Maybe there was something else Dawn had down to him. He wouldn't have put it past her to create a device to mess with him. Technologies to interact with Net Navis were her specialty. Sighing, he jacked out of the Net. He too had been given his orders. He wouldn't be going after Bass for a while.

* * *

Dr. Hikari felt his blood run cold as yet as he left the room. The board had decided that the situation was important enough to call him into a video conference and tell him to his face that they would under no circumstances release the Navi Project files. He had made his bed when he had decided to reopen the project and finish it despite the scrutiny of it. Now he must lie in it and "do what he should have done 21 years ago."

The doctor rubbed his sore neck. Haruka had had him sleep on the couch for the first four days after he had told her the situation. He was surprised that she hadn't done any worse. But he was thankful that she hadn't, knowing that he didn't truly actually deserve the forgiveness his family was showing him. Now the question was if Hub was going to do the same. That was, if they had time to figure it out.

It had been about eleven days since Void had issued his deal to Roll and no progress had been made. The doctor put his hand on his forehead. He had looked again and again at the virus that was attached to his son's DNA data. There was no way for him to even try to bypass the code. Whoever coded it was brilliant. He or she had made sure that he would be able to see the fact that any attempt to remove it would result in his son's deletion so that he didn't get deleted. The person was striking one of the most powerful weapons into the hearts of everyone: Hopelessness.

For the first time in a long time, Dr. Hikari was at a loss. There was nothing he could do to help this situation. He couldn't fix his son. He couldn't save his son. He couldn't do anything but wait. And it was this helplessness that drove the fear inside his heart that Hub wouldn't make it. What made it worse was that he was no stranger to this feeling. How many times did his sons save the world from some impending disaster and he was left on the sidelines to await their hopeful return? How many times had the odds against the family been stacked so high that it was a logical improbability that they would succeeded and live to see another day? Yes, Dr. Hikari was not a stranger to helplessness for it was the same emotion that caused him to place Hub into Megaman's frame.

But the fear felt different now than ever before. Now, there was no alternative. No fall back. Lan had always had friends and help in order to back him up and keep him safe. He had always had Hub and Hub always had him. But now, no one had Hub. No one was able to save him from the grasps of Void's master. He or she had them right where they were wanted. They couldn't make a move without the person's consent. Worst of all, the person knew just who to strike down. Megaman was not only the strongest of the group; he was also the most influential. Lan and Roll relied on him; Mayl relied on Roll and Lan. When Hub was taken out of the equation, the whole team collapsed. There was no easy way around the elephant in the room that if Hub died now…that would be the end of things.

A deletion from Hub's HBD would not only collapse Megaman, but any existing form of his DNA. When the virus was placed into Megaman, it had overwritten any data on the PET and thus corrupted any attempt of trying to use a backup chip. Unless they got Tadashi's note, there would be no way to restore Megaman if he died now. And with SciLab's current position and the rules of the deal with Void, they probably wouldn't be any time to copy that much data. They would lose. And considering all that, maybe that was why his heart was falling deeper and deeper into quicksand with every step he took.

His heart sank further as he noticed his family inside his office, waiting for the verdict. The temperature in the room dropped when he shook his head. Haruka seemed to crumple as the woman began to burst into tears. Thankfully, she accepted her family's embrace as once again they went through Hub's battle with HBD once again. Despite it all, Dr. Hikari had managed to get a good look at Lan. He was trying to comfort his mother, but there was the faintest of distraction in his eyes. As he looked around the room, he realized what was putting him off.

Where was Mayl?

* * *

"Gaia Break!"

The ground underneath them cracked and holes began to appear all over, with the exception of the one the green one was standing on which had turned into a grass panel. Roll looked over at her opponent who was standing on a panel, waiting to crack at any moment. Judgeman was trapped and had no way out. If he moved, the ground underneath him would cave in and leave him even more so trapped that where he was now. However, he could see the ground slowly beginning to heal itself. He would just have to stall for time. Maybe confronting the two at the train terminal had been a bad decision.

"Strange Shield!" Judgeman said as a book appeared in front of him. That would just have to hold for now. Only four minutes to hold on. The pink navi hadn't taken too kindly when he had appeared in the Train Server.

"Grass Seed! Wood Tower! Thorn Shot! Download!" It was bad enough to keep them trapped on the train; but the problem was that in his haste to confront the NetOp and Net Navi duo, Judgeman had tried to control the driver program navi who only short-circuited. Now the train had no driver and was also picking up speed. Not that it affected Judgeman who could jack out any time he wanted to.

Roll chucked the seed above her, jumping back just a step as the oval object hit the ground and exploded. The tiny blast had released enough powder to turn most of her side into grass panels. Roll put her palm onto the ground, "Wood Tower!" The sharp trees began to sprout out from the ground, coming at Judgeman in a straight line. But wouldn't they just stop when they hit one of the holes in front of him?

As the last tree hit the stopping point, the book was blasted by and covered in vines and roots, preventing its movement. A trap! Judgeman looked behind him; his panels needed a few more minutes, two at least!

"Now Roll! Program Advance! Step Sword! Phantom Sword! Area Steal! Shadow Swipe!" a blade shrouded in darkness appeared in place of the buster that Roll had previously used. Judgeman had no time to block the incoming attack as the green navi appeared behind him and slashed. The navi flew into his book, which had decided to close and disappear. Thinking quickly, he used his Chain Bind to wrap around the edge of the panel before falling down.

However, the binding soon became undone as the panels began to close up and he was unable to heave himself up to the surface. Well, either deletion or deletion. His verdict was clear. Judgeman feel into the abyss of the darkness.

Roll sighed as she switched the train's controls back to normal. She felt kinda bad for Judgeman. No one knew what lied in store for any navi that fell over the edge and into the darkness. Some said that a navi would fall for eternity without ever hitting the bottom, while others were met with the more painful demise option of landing so hard on the ground that you were instantly deleted.

However, his appearance more scared her than ever. Void wanted the files on Mega. Shademan had said they would come looking for here if no progress was made. More than likely, Dr. Hikari hadn't been able to make the board give him the files. Which meant that it was up to her and Mayl to break into the database at the Oran Island location.

"Roll, whatever happens; we'll go through it together okay?" Mayl said, knowing as well what all this entailed.

"You sure you want to do this. You could be throwing away your whole life," Roll added. Mayl easily had the most to lose if she got caught.

"Lan and Megaman have _risked_ their lives for us so many times. It's about time we return the favor." Mayl said, as emergency crews started to evacuate people from off the train.

Roll nodded as she began to type up an email to Lan explaining their absence. This was going to be quite the ride…

* * *

Bass growled as Starman began to dissipate into data. The navi had barely lasted a second after he had delivered his message. A very small part of him wondered if Starman knew that he was a good as deleted when he said those words. However, more of him was concerned with the message. No, there was only one person allowed to delete Megaman and that was him. Two days huh? Bass jacked out and prepared to do some scout work. That blue navi had better stay alive until he got this data. Otherwise, his purpose. His true victory. All of it would mean nothing if he wasn't the one defeated. The amount of times Megaman had humiliated him by the power of his bonds.

Disgusting. But he and his NetOp had defeated him every time. And that single thing drove Bass mad. So no, he wouldn't allow Megaman to die. After all, if he was going to live up to his name as the God of Destruction, he would have to have something to destroy. And who else better to destroy than the biggest obstacle that ever appeared on the Net.

* * *

Ghost: *Gasps* Bass is trying to save Megaman. That's an uncounted for turn of events. Though the be fair, he's only trying to save him so that he can kill him. So, is that really saving him in the end? Ah well, see you all next week on DN4. But, come back on Friday to see the end of **Soul Awakening! **Things are just starting to get crazy in the DN world. And what the heck happened to Pixel? Only a few more days and you'll know the answers to these questions and more.! Ghost501 logging out!


	13. Chapter 13

**Favoriters/Followers:** xXTheLegendXx

**Review Responses:**

**terratasha:** Human fear sometimes brings out the worst in humanity. Dawn is a conundrum; not only being actually clinically insane, she's also brilliant. Pretty much, part of her problem is that she's also a kind of unreliable narrator. Things in Dawn's story seem kinda nuts, but unfortunately she's also kinda nuts so it's harder to get into her head and understand whatever she tries to do until she's tries to do it.

* * *

**Day 7 Part 1 – Hard Choices and Decisions**

"This is insane. You're insane! Does Lan even know you guys are going through with this?" Saber asked as he tried desperately to stay in front of Roll to slow her pace. The navi had been coming by to say hi and check up on how things are doing. When he saw Roll prepping with Mayl to go somewhere, he merely asked what was going on. As Mayl and Roll recounted the past couple of days, Saber put two and two together and figured out just what was going on.

"Nope. The more in the dark he and the Hikaris are the better. They already know about the deal, but they don't know about Judgeman," Mayl sighed, "Besides, if he knew, he might talk me out of it. If it wasn't for the fact that he wouldn't put anyone's navi in danger, he might have already asked one of his Link Navis to help him already."

"Besides, even though they knew about Void's message, that's already been relayed to SciLab in Dr. Hikari's letter. I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't expecting someone to be knocking on their door," Roll spoke. The letter hadn't been specific as to what would happen, but it had hinted that someone was going to be provoked if the Navi Project files were not revealed then the demands of a higher power would ensure that there were uncovered.

Saber put a hand on his head. He was lucky Saria wasn't around otherwise she too may be just as surprised at the duo's insanity, "You do realize you are trying to break into the main computer of SciLab? Right? I mean, this isn't Higsby's or some random place. This is SciLab! I'll say again! You're insane! Both of you! There's got to be another way to get Megaman's cure. It's only the second week. We've still got time to find this Void navi and get him to cough up the cure!"

"And how do we even know that Void is even on the Net? For all we know, he's hold up in a PET or some off based computer that has only one exit and entrance. It's pointless to try and search for someone who can't be found so easily. Especially under the time constraints!" Roll countered back as she tried to push past the blue and green navi. She appreciated the concern, but this conversation was getting nowhere.

Saber merely shifted himself so that the shove barely did anything, "Do you even know how to even find this place? You know how many little islands are of Oran Island? You'd be spending just as much time trying to find this place as you would trying to find Void." Why couldn't this navi just see reason! What was wrong with her logic function?

"That's why I'm going to the SciLab Network here. They've got to have some file about where the main office is. When I get that location, then I go to the main office and take it from there," Roll summed up. Mayl, in the meantime, could feel this conversation going somewhere else and decided to stay out of it. Saber was trying to stop her as friend; he was trying to stop her as a brother.

"Again! Breaking into SciLab is a bad idea. Like the worst you've ever come up with! Period!" Saber said planting his foot down, completely stopping Roll's path.

The pink navi stepped back and gave Saber a look, "Get out of the way, Saber."

"Not until you give me one good reason to. You would never be able to be seen on the Net again. These guys don't want Megaman's data being seen by anyone ever again. Think about what they would do to the first navi and person who tried to figure that out. Huh? What if this is all some elaborate plan to get you deleted and Mayl out of the equation. Megaman's not the only influential person in this group! You all are!" Saber said; he pointed a finger at Roll.

"All four of you means something to the other. I won't pretend to know what kind of connection you guys have. Hell, I can barely process what you and Megaman have. But I know this, if one of you guys die, then everyone else will be a few steps away from doing the same. Megaman is still alive; we just need to be smart about how we deal with this. There are other ways to save Megaman that don't involve you guys risking everything. Plus, no offense, but you guys don't have any Hikari luck quite yet." The navi said, trying to get a joke in as the pink navi's shoulders seemed to drop. He hadn't meant to get her depressed, but just calm enough to realize what was at stake. His sister got too emotional for her own good sometimes, but that wasn't a necessarily bad thing.

Roll was silent for quite some time before uttering, "I just miss him. This all seems like some kind of twisted dream." She mumbled as a few tears made their way down her face.

Saber shook his head, "Your heart is in the right place. It's just that your brain turned off for a…moment?" The blue navi raised an eyebrow as the pink navi suddenly hugged him. He was almost ready to return it when he heard her mumble, "Sorry Saber."

Yellow powder flew up from the ground around Roll and nearly suffocated the navi as Roll sprinted past him. Saber coughed, trying to wave the powder from his face. Since when then she have Spice chips? Either way, he couldn't think too much about it because in a few seconds, he had fallen into sleep mode. The sudden activation of his state caused him to be jacked out from the Net as any dependent navi in a sleep state had to be either in his or her PET or PC. She had outfoxed him and now she was running into the exact danger that she had been forewarned about.

Huh…maybe she would get the Hikari luck soon that he thought.

* * *

Roll walked the rest of the way to the SciLab network. The Spice chip would have Saber knocked out for a while and it took some time to get from the Cyber City Network to the SciLab one. Despite not having much of a choice, she really hated to gas Saber like that. But he wouldn't have let her go. Granted, that everything he had said had a lot of weight and was true. But she just didn't have the luxury of abiding by them. Not this time.

Hub was in serious danger. Plus, who knew if they wouldn't come after him next. She had gotten lucky in the sense that her first warning had been a fight with Judgeman, but what if they still had control over the virus and speed up its progress to force their hand even more. She couldn't risk losing Hub. Not this time. She couldn't watch him less of himself. It was even worse than two years ago when his color had gone black and his eyes blank. No, every day his face turned white and white.

She couldn't watch him as he actually died in front of her and the most she could ever do was lie to his not responding body and tell him that it would be okay. Not another day could go by where she could come in with a brave face and break down because he still wasn't better and only became worse day after day when she hoped that by some miracle he would be stronger now than he was as an infant and defeat his HBD. However, his programming couldn't handle human viruses. There was no antivirus for him. There was only one cure: Void's deal.

For the first time, Roll felt truly trapped. There were times when she had been kidnapped that she felt alone and prayed that Megaman would find her and save her from whatever disaster life tried to give her. But now, Roll couldn't win. When she went through with this, they would somehow trace it back to her. The most she could do was leave in Mayl's sleep when Megaman got better. She would hack through the files and unregister herself as Mayl's navi. Then, she would be safe. All they would know was that the pink navi before them had somehow got the drop on them and stolen the files. She would be the only one punished.

The pink navi was prepared to take the burden of it all. Mayl didn't have to give up her life and neither would anyone else. They would all be safe. And her…well that was up in the air. Delete her on sight was the likely option; but more than likely they would probably question her before putting her into Dark Mode and looking through all her data. Roll gulped. She didn't want to be turned into a lab rat. She didn't want Hub to be sick. She didn't want any of this!

She wanted everything bad in this world gone. She wanted Lan and Mayl to get married. Maybe even her and Hub would be too if they ever found a way to have a navi wedding without everyone on the Net freaking out. She wanted to be there when Mayl and Lan had their first kid. She wanted to be with Mega and out on dates in the real world in their copybots. She just wanted this all to be over. She was happy about finally becoming strong and powerful in her own right. But she wasn't ready for the madness that a single entity could hand out in one foul swoop.

How in all the Net did Hub not crack under all this pressure? Just realizing this only deepened her respect for her boyfriend. He went through all of this at least six times. Even more instances over the past couple of years. How had he not cracked under the pressure? How had he made the right decisions? How? How? How!

Roll groaned as she clutched her head. All these questions were bogging her mind and making it tough to think. Now was not the time to be thinking about these things. But would she ever get the chance to again or would she be stuck thinking about the what ifs for years to come. Forced to either be dead and observe the life of her loved ones as a ghost until the Net was resurfaced, locked in a cyber space passed out where her code was on display to be analyzed by whoever, or on the run every day. Always looking over her shoulder.

"Oh no…" Mayl said, who too had been zoned out thinking somewhere along the same lines as her navi—though not at the same extreme. Through her view of the cyber world in her PET, she noticed something that Roll had been too dazed to see.

SciLab's firewall was not only visable, but had a large gaping hole in it. Someone had blasted through and entered into the network. Megaman was still in the network. If something happened…

"MEGA!" Roll screamed as she raced in and jumped through the hole. The security system didn't go off on her since she had been allowed to borrow Lan's SciLab code to see Megaman whenever she wanted to. However, the system was already tied up with whoever had been the intruder. Directions for navis were still being barked out while explosions could be heard all through the Net area.

The pink navi whirled her head around, trying to make sense of this place. She took an uneasy step forward as another blast happened. She knew that navis were getting deleted. The firepower this intruder had was shaking the ground. Roll's green eyes were wild and the navi had subconsciously started hyperventilating. Stupid breathing protocol function.

"ROLL! Calm down!" Mayl said, noticing her navi's distress, "It's okay. They're not going to Megaman. From the looks of things, he's heading towards the west of the network. Megaman's in Dr. Hikari's PC on the north side. He's going to be fine. What's more important is that now we have a chance to find that data. Lan said that most of SciLab's database files are over to the West Wing so we'll be probably getting in thick of whatever is left."

The pink navi gained her calm again. Right, north was safe, west wasn't, "Right, thanks Mayl." Roll smiled softly; how she would hate to leave her in the end.

"Hey we're in this together right? Come on, let's go!" The red haired woman said, trying to hide her own fear under a mask of courage.

Roll nodded, amazed at her NetOp, "Yeah!" And with that, Roll bounded off towards the hallmark of destruction before her.

The journey to her destination was mostly uneventful. Mostly because the roads had turned into a ghost town. By now, all of SciLab's security must have been dispatched. Every last navi since as Roll ran, no one came behind her to ask what was going on. Oddly enough, it seemed as if the crack in the firewall had shaken SciLab enough to disorient many of their programs that watched the Net Space. This was mostly apparent by all the Mr. Programs who spun around like confused pandas, no longer certain just what they were seeing.

However, as Roll reached the end of server, she herself couldn't believe what she was seeing. The person who caused all this damage…it was Bass!


	14. Chapter 14

**Mainstream DN Contest: Deadline: January 11th, 2015**

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**Favoriters/Followers: **izanarukami818

**Review Responses:**

**terratasha:** I wanna respond to this, but there really isn't anyway for me to without giving something in the chapter away. So...I'll just sit here and do nothing!

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**Day 7 Part 2 – Prove Your Worth**

Before Roll could even get a word in edgewise, the fined navi pulled out his buster. The weapon glared angrily at Roll…well it would have if it could. Bass wasn't in the mood to negotiate right now. He was already getting over the fact that he was _saving_ the blue navi from his death bed. However, he was somewhat enjoying himself. He hadn't remembered the last time he had fought an onslaught of navis like that. They were all pathetic and really not worth anyone's time, but still a small warm up for what was to come.

He had come to SciLab for the same reasons that Roll had, information. He had no idea where to begin the search for these files and had decided that the local SciLab branch was a good place to start. Plus, surely someone at the main location had heard of the noise at this branch and would no doubt hurry to increase their power. Something that he would hope would prove a small challenge if at all to make this worth it. He had a lot of aggression he needed to get out of his system. He placed his hand with a document file he had gathered from the data. It had been relatively easy to shift through the data and find the location. Now, he just needed to get it.

Roll put both her hands up, trying not to seem like a target or rather an awaiting victim from the looks of the place, "What are you doing here Bass?" The pink navi asked as she slowly walked forward. However, the green light from the buster caused her to keep a step back.

Roll's green eyes flicked to the data behind his back. He was holding a document file, "Are you looking for something?" Roll asked again as Mayl kept quiet. Bass hated humans and with their current position was probably only looking for a reason to take a shot at Roll. However, her finger itched for a battle chip. But she couldn't even download anything. Bass was a navi that seemed to shoot first and ask questions later. He only cared about power and the destruction of humanity according to Lan. Which once again begged the question, why was he here?

"You ask a lot of questions for a dead navi. I would delete you; in fact I probably should so that Megaman will have a reason to fight when he awakens. But I've already have had my moment of deleting pointless navis. I'll give you a warning. Stay away and live to fight another day." Bass said with finality.

Roll swallowed her pride at the moment of being called pointless. She had thought that she had done at least somewhat better over the years. However, her attention soon went to the earlier half of his sentence. He too was here to get the data to help Megaman. How had he heard about the deal?

The pink navi shook her head. Useless questions later, "Bass, I'm here for the same reason. I need to get that data to Void and I believe it's that document in your hand with the SciLab location right? Why don't we both go together to get the data? Even if you got it tonight, you would still have to wait a day before Void bothers to show up. It would make sense to team up, if…only…for a…day right?"

Roll's voice trailed as Bass lowered his buster. His shoulders were shaking. Not from the laughter that Roll had initially expected out of the navi, but of rage. He glared at her with his dark eyes. Roll winced; she had struck a chord.

"Are you…suggesting that I cannot hold off SciLab or the officials by myself? Do you think _you_ can do a better job," the navi sneered as his hand switched from a buster to holding green pulsing energy.

Oh boy…

"Shoot, Mayl!" Roll said, realizing that asking the most independent navi of all navis to team up wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Right! Battle Routine, Set!" Mayl said, bringing her chip folder onto the screen.

"Execute!" Roll jumped back as Bass smashed the ground with an Earth Break.

* * *

His eyes almost seemed to twitch, "You and your human both dare and mock me! Only one human and navi have ever dared to try what you have attempted. And I swear I will kill them too. All you useless humans will die! After I defeat Megaman, there will be nothing left to stop me!"

As soon as Roll landed on the ground, she noticed Bass's Life Aura flare to life. He must have just activated it. She would have to get rid of it first before she could attack him directly. Although, she was more going for just trying to get him to calm down.

Mayl shifted through her chips. She didn't think she had anything powerful enough to take out a Life Aura in one go. She'd have to buy time until a Program Advance bothered to show its face.

"I was going to let you go, but now I'm just going to delete you insolent navi. Dark Aura Blade!" The black blade that appeared on Bass's hand was intense. In fact, the very appearance of the blade was causing her our dark soul to react.

The pink navi barely registered Mayl downloading a Bamboo Blade and had almost been sliced because of it. Luckily, she caught of herself and brought her blade up to guard. The result was the crack that spread throughout the sword.

**_'Morning already?'_** a tired voice commented. Great, now Dark Roll was up. The Dark Energy given off by Bass was enormous. He hadn't been putting out this much power when he was fighting Megaman. So why now?

_'No. Go back to sleep!'_ Roll countered as she jumped back.

**_'Life Aura? A Dark Aura would be better. You could get rid of it if you gave me control.'_**

_'Shut up! I told you no!'_ Roll shook her head. She needed to focus before her dark soul actually got her deleted.

**_'Ah come on. You see how pointless this is right? Bass will keep attacking and you can't last long against this kind of power. Plus, I can already tell you have nothing in your chip folder to take care of that aura. You're hanging on a prayer for a Program Advance. You could just let me have a little fun and then I'll give your body right after I shove a Dark Sword into the shark's belly? Sound like a deal?'_**

"No, it doesn't! Now just leave me alone and stop trying to make things easy!" Roll yelled out annoyed. Mayl almost dropped a chip. Not only had she not been expecting such a response out of Roll, but considering who their pressing company was.

**_'…Now, you've done it. Just couldn't use your inside voice, could you? Well…have fun dying.'_** the dark soul commented exasperatedly as Roll began to shirk back. At least Dark Roll _knew_ when to leave as the dark soul preferred to not be awake when the blast would delete her. The aura around Bass was beginning to flare even more now. His eyes were wild with anger. He would not be the recipient of such blasphemy.

How dare she think she was better than him? How there any of them! This was why Megaman had to die by _his_ hand. Once he was gone, then he would be the strongest navi that existed. There would be no other who could stop him. No human nor navi. The upstarts like the one in front of him would no longer exist because without their blue bomber, they were nothing!

"Very well navi…you've sealed your own fate!" The navi hovered far above the ground as his green orb began to shine even bright, becoming borderlined white, "This is your end. But don't worry! Megaman will soon join you! Now die! Cyber Break!"

"Roll! Get out of the way!" Mayl screamed as she tried to find a chip, any chip, that would be able to save her navi from the attack.

Roll's eyes went wide as he launched the enlarging white ball at her. Mayl didn't have any Auras and by the looks of things, couldn't find her other chips. Maybe the impromptu battle had caused her to select the wrong chip folder. No Merge could get her out of this mess. This was it…that was until someone had found their way in front of her. The navi was a silver or gray color. However Roll couldn't tell as the impact blasted them both.

As the smoke cleared the destroyed path, Roll picked up her head. She was hurt, pretty bad too. But she was alive. All thanks to the person who had saved her. Her eyes widened as a mix between a groan and a laugh caught her attention. Rolled over on his stomach, surrounded by pieces of destroyed iron, was Saber.

"You just…had to…try and put me to sleep. By the way…I'll get you for that," he mumbled as Roll managed to pick herself off the ground and run over to him.

She slid to her knees as the blue and green navi craned his head to see her, "Saber…how…why?"

"You're my sister. Couldn't let you die. Not like Tox." he mumbled. His back was really killing him.

"How did you…" Mayl started, quickly cut off by Saria, who really wasn't happy at the moment.

"Iron Body. Bought 4 of them too. Took forever for me to find them. The blast hit his back so it doesn't seem like he suffered any core damage luckily, but I need to jack him out now," her friend said as Saber was jacked out. The blue navi gave her a thumbs up before dissipating, "I know you're tied up right now, but when you get out of this you both have got a _lot_ of explaining to do! I'm coming over and don't even think about trying to run!"

Mayl laughed nervously. Well there went that plan. Saria could be downright scary when she wanted to be, "Okay…" She said as she diverted her attention to a stunned Bass. The navi probably didn't expect his attack to be blocked so easily.

His eye twitched. They were everywhere. Megaman followers. NO! He charged another Cyber Break. He could defeat the other blue navi later. Right now, the pink one needed to die!

Roll's hands balled into a fist. Even after everything, Saber had not only tracked her down, but risked his life to save her. He had managed to save himself by his or Saria's own quick thinking. However, she couldn't let things go on like this. No, not after he had committed himself to her finishing this fight. She wouldn't let his actions be for nothing. Roll's bodysuit began to glow. As the light faded, her ponytail had been split as her bodysuit turned into light gray. Her new outfit seemed almost feathery over top her black underlying suit.

Mayl smirked as another Merge added itself to the list, "Aura Merge!"

Roll stood up as Bass prepared his attack. She was weakened; she wouldn't survive the next hit. Roll stared back up at Bass before waving her arm, "Gale Push!" She called as a wind blew through the field.

As he launched the attack, it impacted the ground. However, it had missed. No…she had disappeared! As he looked at himself he also realized, that his Life Aura had been blown away. When had that happened?

"Roll Whip!" He hadn't noticed Roll use her air shoes to jump up to his height as he was intercepted in the back by her antennae. Going with the flow of things, "Gale Push!" The wind blew Bass back down to the ground, although he had caught himself before impact. This little navi seemed to be full of tricks. Just like Megaman. Despite his hate for the blue navi, his interest in the pink one was beginning to peak. He was wondering why Megaman had allowed himself to be surrounded by weakling such as her—granted that everyone around him was weak, but she took the cake in that category.

"Anti-Damage! Invis! Download!" Mayl said as her navi disappeared from view again. As Bass looked around the field, waiting for the attack, his thoughts continued to make parallels to Megaman.

Working as a team.

Believing or taking honor for the weak who had fallen.

Being capable of extreme annoyance.

_'Not as strong,'_ he thought as he grabbed the arrow that had sped towards him, _'but just as annoying'._ He took a guess and shot at where he believed…Roll, that was her name, was. Roll had barely dodged out of the way, not ready to have the Anti-Damage being used yet. She wasn't sure why, but she could feel like something was…off. She could tell like something wasn't complete. Something that needs to be finished. She felt some of her own power beginning to burn, cool, and electrify her while her vision tried to blur itself. Why was she acting like she was blinded? Or rather…why wasn't Bass!

"Hey Mayl, you have another Anti-Damage and Invis?" Roll asked, as she used another Gale Push to keep back Bass who had tried to fire his buster at her. The wind had caused his aim to be messed up as he stood his ground, barely moving an inch.

"Yeah?" she said, not fully understanding.

"Use them, put Element Trap and Blinder in that order into the PET," Roll said, as she caused another wind to stall for time. Bass, however, had decided enough was enough and pulled out the head of Gospel. After the wind died down, he was going to fire.

"Right!" Mayl said, not bothering to question how her navi knew a possible Program Advance combination, "Anti-Damge! Invis! Element Trap! Blinder!" The PET rang as Mayls eyes widened, "Program Advance! Master Merge! Go for it, Roll!"

Roll's eyes seemed to be even greener as her body suit started become hotter, switching from Aura to Pyra. The burners lit up hotter than ever as the ground underneath them began to turn to lava panels. Bass jumped from the bubbling ground as Roll knelt down. As the lighters kicked in, the lava flew up into the air. As Bass tried to shrug off the burning material on him, Roll once again in her Aura Merge had popped up in front of him and blasted him with a gust of wind. While the lava was gone, the ground was still hot to the touch. Though in a few seconds, the air began to get cold as an igloo appeared around him.

Glacia Merge shifted to Voltra as Roll's hand hit the small dwelling and a sound blasted inside. Bass gripped his head as the horrible noise continuously bounced off the walls. Though, his torment only lasted so long before the igloo fell on top of him. Vines sprouted from now open panel holes and began to wrap around him. Bass was midway through the process of slashing out of them as Terra Merge soon became normal Roll and her visor came down and a multicolored arrow appeared in her bow. She locked on and fired.

Bass pulled out his buster and fired several shots at her, however time was moving slower for the pink navi. The arrow became energy and she fired it. The bolt ricocheted off of every shot Bass had made, diverting the hits from her, and knocked the navi back. Bass coughed as the attack hit him. She had damaged him. Actually hurt him.

He looked disbelievingly at the pink navi as Roll soon fell to the ground. She had exhausted herself in that last attack and wasn't used to power it took to switch from all those forms. Bass glanced at her as he coughed again; this time a bug frag came out. So, he had been bugged. But since he had thrived for so long by absorbing them, an attack that was supposed to bug him wasn't effective. They would have to actually bug his systems directly and there was very little possibility of that.

Still…she had done what no one other than Megaman had done before. Granted that in her state, she couldn't continue the fight. But, she had indeed proven what a threat she could be. Not enough to be worrisome to a navi like him, but enough to be watched.

Bass turned around and prepared to leave. His work was done here, "If you want your precious data, then meet me at the rendezvous spot at the meeting time. I have no business to see this transaction, but I'd rather not leave such a job to you to screw up. Farewell…Roll."

As he jacked out, Roll was left stunned. He…he had said her name. She didn't even know that he knew it, "Our lives just got more complicated didn't it?" the pink navi asked.

"Yeah, I believe so. Come on, you heard him. Plus, the camera programs are still down. Let's leave before anyone sees us." Mayl said jacking her out of the network, "By the way, you did great today." She said as the navi came back into the PET.

"Thanks. So ready to face, Saria?" Roll asked as an email came in. The navi's face paled as she read it, "Okay Mayl, I've got good news and bad news. Which one do you want?"

"Might as well have the good first," she grumbled.

"Good news is that no one did see us. After the firewall went down and Bass came through, all the security navis got deleted and the Mr. Programs are too confused to know who was there. Even the navi logger was down so there is no trace of us even being at SciLab today."

Mayl smiled, "Well, that's goo…how'd you know that?"

"Bad news is that Lan knows…he's also coming down here. I'm not entirely sure how he had that figured out with all the systems down, but..." Roll answered sheepishly.

Mayl laughed nervously, "Think we can make it out the window before they get here?"

"MAYL! OPEN UP!" Saria yelled from outside the door.

"Answer to that would be no…" the pink navi sighed, "You want me there to take the heat too?" Roll asked, gesturing to her copybot link.

"If you wouldn't mind…" the red haired woman said as she left the PET on the counter and went to open the door.

Roll nodded as she took the link into the copybot. It would only be fair. It was her idea. She smiled as the machine let her into the real world. At least though she would get the data. If there was anyone who could get the job done, it was Bass. And at least now, no one would be in trouble and she wouldn't have to leave. Bass had been under the eye of many for years. If anyone knew how to avoid trouble and get himself out of it, it was none other than the God of Destruction.

_'Just hang in there Hub. It'll be over soon. Promise,'_ she thought as she ventured down the stairs to see Mayl already on the receiving end of Saria's scolding. She had half a mind to just walk back up the stairs at the rate the red haired woman was going. However…

"OH! Good! You can be here too!" Saria smirked evily, not bothering to ask about the copybot. Roll made a nervous smile. There went that idea.

Shoot…

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Update: Monday

Ghost: I can't do this Merge justice in describing it. It looks awesome, but...I just can't put it into words well enough so here is the pic! animegirl257 . deviantart art / Aura-Roll-498974754. Oh, and uh...next week this story ends. Not gonna lie, this kinda surprised me to and I wrote this thing. Ghost501 logging out!


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry guys, I'm actually on the road so I can't respond to last chapter's review. I'll do it on Wednesday!**

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**Mainstream DN Contest: Deadline: January 11th, 2015**

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**Day 8 Part 1 – An Expected Trap**

Protoman was worried. He was actually beyond worried. The past few days hadn't been very good and what was even worse now was that he and Chuad had been called in to bodyguard. Though if the reports were true, he wasn't sure how much good him being here would do. After all, this was Bass they were talking about. The SciLab Mainbranch Network had been raided by the God of Destruction last night. None of the navis that were stationed there stood a chance. What was worse was that he apparently stole several high authorized data files and destroyed main others in his entrance. Conveniently, the details about Dr. Cossack's creation of him seemed to have also been wiped from memory.

However, it wasn't the files being stolen that was bothering him. No doubt someone had to be smart enough in that building to make back ups on a separate computer in the unlikely case of a total server loss, but the fact of how far SciLab was going to make sure that no one knew about it. When Chuad had been given the file as an official, it almost seemed as if the underlying tone of the meaning had a gun in their face. Not that they had a reason to divulge this information, but they were really trying to keep a lid on just what files had been stolen. But, he couldn't help but think that the reason that he and Chuad had been trusted to watch over the comatose blue navi was the fact that they already knew of his origins.

It was clear that Megaman was not in the best of conditions. Strange since just last week had been fine enough to go toe to toe with Void. However, there was the troubling fact that they hadn't tried restoring his data to some old format in order to get rid of whatever was trying beating him down. Which either meant that Dr. Hikari didn't have them or didn't have access to them. The red navi shook his head. He didn't like this. Not one bit. This was unlike SciLab to hid details. Just what was so secret that they wanted to hide it? Surely it couldn't have been the fact that Megaman was both human and navi. If it was—especially with their current position about secrets apparently—he had no doubt that the navi would have been deleted somehow.

Protoman sighed as he looked the blue navi. It was weird to see the navi so dead and ghostly like. It was almost as if he would be deleted if anyone tried to even touch him. After so many times sparing with him, Protoman wasn't sure how to take this sudden "defeat". Maybe that's why he was staring so hard at this Megaman before him.

He had been told that the navi was in Dark Mode and that his condition was grave, but he didn't remember that involving him leak data. He hadn't noticed it before, probably because it hadn't been very noticeable. But no longer could he ignore the fact the Megaman was drooling sand in his "sleep".

Protoman pulled out his sword as the navi looked back at him. He gave a weak smile, "Grr. Wraahh – haer. Grahhh. (Worth dying if only to see your surprised face.)" Desertman smirked as his data collapsed. The day of the attack, Void had raised him from his grave only to tell him he needed him for an acting job. He hadn't liked getting himself beat up to the point where deletion was the only hope for him. But he had been told that the blue boy he had replaced in the chaos of Bass's raid would pay dearly. No one had bothered to check Megaman as a false program had "reported" his debilitating condition.

Protoman sneered as the sword turned back into his hand. Just another secret. "Chuad…we have a problem."

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"Are you sure this is the point?" Bass asked the pink navi as they waited for Void to show up with the antivirus for Megaman. He had been slightly surprised when the pink navi had actually shown up in one of the more dangerous parts of the Undernet, but he guessed it was a demonstration of that bond concept that he hated so much. He could feel himself burn standing next to her as he tried to resist the urge to start a fight with her here. That would wait until after Megaman had been soundly defeated.

Roll nodded, "This was the place they told me. Plus, you're here as well. Unless they got the message confused." The pink navi bit her lip, not out of the chance that a navi could see them since this was a hard part of the Net to survive and get to. But it was more so that with each second that passed by, she was worrying that Void wouldn't show. That all this was for nothing and that she would have to watch…

The pink navi shook her head. No, he would show up. He had to. She looked over at Bass for a quick second, who seemed even more uncomfortable than she was. Although, his was being reflected as this aura that she could feel trying to suffocate her.

"Well, we can't do anything else but wait. As unfortunate as that is," Mayl grumbled. Saria had almost bitten her head off by the time Lan had showed up. He had been much less aggressive about the ordeal, maybe after seeing the carnage that the concerned Saria had left. Now both the brunette and red head waited for the deal to take place, along with their navis.

Finally after several minutes, a red navi showed up. His form seemed to look somewhat like Megaman's, with the exception of those shades that wrapped around his helmet like a motorcycle helmet. The navi smirked in a fashion that gave her the creeps. She only ever had one navi give her a look like that and things hadn't been too nice with Crashman either.

"Roll, Bass," he greeted coldly before giving them both hard stares, particularly the fined navi, "I assume you have the data I want?"

Bass materialized the compressed file and threw it at Void, who caught it. The navi opened the file and began to look through the many files that involved Dr. Hikari's side of Navi Project. Dr. Cossack's details seemed to be missing. Or more than likely, destroyed. Ah well, no matter. He would just have to take those details himself.

Void closed the file as he began the transfer to his PET. Dawn had been pretty particular about him not downloading these files. Now he just needed a way to stall for a couple of minutes, and he already had the perfect way to.

"Well done you two. But, there seems to be a little problem," He turned to Bass, "I believe you owe me a fight. The pink one can leave if she wants to. But I will be taking your data."

"Hmph," Bass grunted, "How many times have I defeated you already? The outcome of our fight will not change. I do not fight such weaklings." What was with this guy and trying to fight him? It was not only boring, but it was also getting mundane. Also, if the navi could only defeat Megaman by such outlandish tactics, then surely he probably couldn't even beat the pink one in a fist fight.

"Ah but don't you want your little rival back?" Void sneered as a green navi Roll had never seen before came into view. Behind him were two navis. The pink navi didn't recognize one of them, but gasped when she had noticed the one in the middle.

"Mega!" Roll yelled before vines wrapped around her wrists and legs, trying to restrict her from moving.

The green navi tsked, "I'd hate to ruin such a delicate flower as yourself, but it seems as if you've been infected by this blue grass behind me." He flicked his hand and all of a sudden Roll felt a bit of her energy drain as the vines let go and she staggered.

Meanwhile the other navi, who she remembered as Circusman, spoke "I wouldn't really call him a weed Plantman. You would rather not see what he's like when he's awake. Pretty animal like," he snickered.

Megaman had been standing for a whole two seconds. Perhaps the walking movement had only looked like just that since he was still passed out. Though by the response heard from him, she guess he was out of Dark Mode.

Void looked at Bass and Roll, "He's already been given the anti-virus. We were sure that you would take up our offer so we decided to make good on our part as soon as we heard that you all had visited SciLab. Though I'd imagine, someone will be finding out about Desertman soon enough. He didn't have that long to live anyway. Getting back to the point, I would hate for one of these two to _injury_ a sleeping navi, but I can't stop two vengeful navis."

Roll breathed out angrily, "Give. Him. Back." She growled.

"Oh, you can gladly fight for him my dear. However, I've already seen your data. Not very interesting. You however Bass, I have not had the pleasure. But don't worry. Your data will be very well taken care after I assimilate it." The red navi smirked.

"Doesn't look like there's much of a way out, does it?" Lan said as Mayl readied a chip folder.

She frowned, "No it doesn't. Ready Roll?"

"Right behind you!"

"Prepare yourself Bass!" Void only got a scoff in reply.

"Battle Routine, Set!"

"Execute!"

* * *

Update: Wednesday

Ghost: Nothing much else to talk about other than the fact that this story is almost over. Not sure hoe many people may or may not have noticed I haven't been cracking as many jokes as normally in these DNs...but more on that on Friday. Ghost501 logging out!


	16. Chapter 16

**Mainstream DN Contest: Deadline: January 11th, 2015**

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**Day 7 P2, Review Responses:**

**terratasha: **See, I can be a nice guy. XD But yeah, I think some of the confusion is coming from me as well. I go a bit more critically about this DN in this week's epilogue but I think at some point I lost a sense of focus on a specific character and then was just trying to tie a story together. I don't know, this DN especially I'm just finding things wrong with.

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**Day 8 P1, Review Responses:**

**terratasha:** Yes, gotcha on one surprise! Yay! Well you know...he doesn't have to live...some people may actually prefer him to be not around. Yeah, Plantman debuts in BN3 and Roll was nowhere in sight. XD Though I do know exactly what episode you're talking about.**  
**

**Lucario: **...I'm trying to read through your comment, but I can't tell where some parts were taken out and things like that so I'll try to respond as best as I can. Wow, that's recalling some memories. The problem with that is that in order to do that plan, it sounds like you would need to equip all of them at the same time which is something that hasn't ever been a BN supported mechanic. As for the bug thing, eh once again after Style Changes were replaced, the Bug Style sorta died and having bugs just became an annoying game mechanic. The only reason why Bug Unison (Roll) works is because the Merge System is the sister companion to the Style Change. Also, there comes the issue that Hub Style is pretty much brought on by pretty much "perfecting" the navi busting ability during the game. However, also remember that Megaman's power set is still restricted by the Cross System. In DN, there isn't any Hub . Batch program or chip since this is all normal game, not post.

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**Day 8 Part 2 - Birth of the Beserker**

"Pyra Merge! Magma Tower! Double Download!" Pyra Roll placed both of her hands on the ground as hot lava spurted from the ground and started to head towards the navis.

"Leaf Shield!" Leaves appeared around the navi as the fire blasted through the foliage. He moved back to avoid the fire. She just had to have his least favorite element on hand didn't she? He looked behind him; he needed to keep Megaman close by in case he needed to use him as a shield.

Circusman, however, didn't have a shield and was forced to take the hit. The navi grumbled as he jumped forward to push the attack, "Gloom Cage!" The navi said as metal bars slammed around Roll and he turned into a tent top. This was going to be fun; there wasn't any way she could dodge this!

"Glacia Merge! Geddon 2! Download!" Mayl said, slipping in the chips quickly.

"Freeze Dome!" Roll said as the igloo formed around her and the ground around them began to fall apart. The poles began to fall through the ground as Circusman yelled in surprise. His attacks were hitting the hard ice surface of Roll's makeshift building. However, he couldn't bounce back up. He couldn't move with the poles embedded through the ground! He had always attached them to himself for this attack!

"Voltra Merge! Elec Blast! Download!" Roll braced herself against the ground as the clown's weight began to bring down her battered igloo. Her feet tried their best to keep the top of the tent from coming down on her.

"Get off of me!" She yelled as the electricity flew from her hand and struck the navi. Not only him, but the metal bars around him had received the attack and were now inflicting more damage. Circusman flew up in the air, howling in pain. _'Sorry Bass'_ Roll thought, but the navi could take it, "Thunder Blast!" Thunder roared in the area as everyone, save her and Megaman, held their heads due to the violent blast; Bass flinched for only a second.

Using her advantage, Roll ran towards Plantman at top speed, "Aura Merge!" Plantman had barely recovered as the gray navi bounced up in front and knocked him back with a hard Gale Push—though that probably had to due with the close range of it all. With Circusman and Plantman in disarray, Roll ran up to Megaman.

She turned him onto his back gently and breathed a sigh in relief when she realized that he was looking a lot better. Void hadn't been lying. As she placed her hand over his symbol, her face broke out into a smile. The virus was gone. His dad would probably do a much better intensive check that she could do, but Hub was safe. He was back. She was driven out of her thoughts by the sound of a groan. Megaman was waking up. And finally, his green eyes looked back at hers, something she had almost feared would never happen again.

"Roll?" he asked lazily, as his functions was all beginning to fire again. The last thing he remembered was not being able to breathe. What the heck had happened? However, he had barely a moment to ask before he was assaulted by Roll kissing him, not that he minded.

If her logic had been working at the moment, she probably wouldn't have done it. After all, she had no idea how long her opponents would remain confused and hurt. But her emotions were currently driving her. She didn't care about anything else at the moment. Hub was back and he was alive. And that's all that really mattered.

"Glad to have you back, Hub," he heard his brother say, sounding very relieved after Roll broke the kiss.

"Glad to be back? What happened?" Megaman asked. However, his question was never answered due to the roar of Void. The red navi seemed to be in a pretty bad spot, with Bass once again beating him. Granted, the God of Destruction had a mark here and there from a few lucky shots. However, the victor of the fight couldn't be any clearer. Now however, Bass was looking at the navi with amused interest. He had at least graduated to being able to hit him. Though…the pink one had done the same so it wasn't saying too much.

"Why…why can't I defeat you?" Void growled, "You're an outdated navi! Created around the same time as Megaman! You only get this far by absorbing the power of creatures which the blue brat over there defeats! Why don't you go down!" He roared as he could feel the device within him activate.

"I have no time to explain myself to such an annoyance. This time, I will do what I should have done years ago," Bass said as a Cyber Break appeared in his hand. It was time to end this. He may have scratched him, but he was entirely too annoying to even be perceived as entertainment.

"No…I believe that I will do what should have been done years ago. I've been so concerned about your data. However, I'm afraid I don't need you anymore. Bug Thunder Sword!" 'Void' said as he slammed his blade into the ground and spikes pierced through both Plantman and Circusman, who had just gotten back on their feet, "Now, both of you…I hope you have a painful deletion. May your NetOps feel the pain of what it is like to lose hope when it is just in your reach! Gospel, delete them all!"

As Void jacked out of the Undernet, a deafening roar was heard as the bugs in the area began to come together. In minutes, the flames of Gospel were bearing down upon Roll and Megaman. Mayl and Lan barely had time to register that the bug wolf had appeared. However, as the flames died down, the smoking figure of Bass came into view. Behind him was Roll and Megaman unharmed.

"How many times must I say it! The one who deletes Megaman will be me! Now return back to your grave! Vanishing Galaxy!" Bass roared as the head of Gospel appeared in place of his hands and let out a violent blast.

The beast stumbled backwards and it seemed to have taken damage. However, as the smoke cleared, Gospel's half blown face could be seen coming back together. The three navis looked stunned as the beast pounced on them, once again intercepted by Bass.

"Unbelievable. Using the Bug Thunder Sword must have given Gospel some kind of ability to regenerate his health. With that kind of power, we'll have to blast him down completely in one shot!" Lan exclaimed, but not a Program Advance or Giga Chips alive could take down that much energy in one shot.

"How do we do that?" Mayl yelled, equally as surprised and a little more freaked out.

Meanwhile, Bass was holding back one of the paws of the beast as it tried to bear down on them, "You!" Bass said, sending a sideways glare at Roll, "Get Megaman out of here! The only reason I'm doing this is so that he doesn't get deleted! Both of you are holding me back!"

Megaman looked at his rival in pure shock. He was protecting him so that he could kill him. But…he was saving him. Like he depended on him. The blue navi could only smirk as he closed his eyes. Bass would never be anyone's Link Navi, but perhaps…

"Mega?" Roll said as she could feel her boyfriend giving off some type of energy. Whatever it was, it was overwhelming. Almost suffocating. However, Megaman's own power made the energy warm and somewhat comforting. She shivered as the navi began to glow a brighter. Such amazing power. She closed her eyes as Megaman began to stand on his own feet.

"Megamam…" Mayl's eyes were wide as she and Lan observed the scene, "Lan, what's going on?"

Lan looked stunned for a moment before he chuckled, "I guess Bass accidentally made a bond with Megaman over the years. It's not one of friendship, not like the others. No, Bass is saving him so that he can delete him later. However, we all know that Bass doesn't just save anyone. He prefers to do battle with the strong and Megaman has beaten him every time. In a strange sense, he would have no other choice but to create a need for defeating Megaman. Meaning that he would create a bond with him. A bond that would be probably only ever be recognized by Bass if he ever deleted Megaman," Lan smirked as he turned to Mayl, "Megaman just obtained the Bass Cross."

As the glow fainted, Megaman's boots were gold while his gloves were gray. His fined helmet had a gold upper half and a silver lower. A purple line went down the sides of his body suit as his mouth guard activated. Roll looked in amazement as Bass Cross Megaman extended her a hand to help her up. Gospel had moved back, somewhat entertained and surprised by the glow while Bass was doing his best not to explode. This really did not bode well with him.

Megaman walked up next to the God of Destruction, "This doesn't change our relationship." He said with finality.

Bass nodded. This was all just part of the challenge. Plus, it would only be fair for him to extend a hand down to Megaman. After he had beaten him at his best, no one would be able to challenge him. No human. No navi. No virus. He would become a god. And that was the result he was looking for.

"So," he started, clearly ignoring the small speech Lan had spoken, "He needs to be destroyed by a single powerful attack. He's already survived my third strongest attack." He growled, not pleased that the beast shrugged him off so easily.

"And there isn't a chip combination alive to take down that much energy in one blow. Maybe not even a combination of both attacks." Megaman groaned, this was more complicated that it needed to be. Even with Roll, neither of them were in Full Synchro and although Bass would never admit it, he didn't have the power to destroy Gospel in one hit either.

"What if he fell?" Roll suggested. Both navis turned to her as Gospel roared. It was getting tired of being ignored. The dog once again pounced on them, but now all three navis split apart, "Never mind about the details. Bass, Megaman. Keep him distracted. Mayl! I need a Terra Merge!" Roll yelled out.

Bass growled. Who the hell did that weakling navi think she was ordering?

Megaman merely smirked. There was his Roll. Never the brawler, but always the strategist. Rather that hope to kill the virus in one blow, they could banish it to the darkness where it could be destroyed or lost to time. He turned his head to Bass, "I'd do what she's says. Unless, you'd rather play with the dog yourself?" He said as he bounced into the air thanks to the Air Shoes.

Bass bit his tongue, figuring that now probably wasn't the time to fight. Though on the inside, he wanted to puke, die, and kill something all at the same time. He was forced to accept help from two navis with NetOps… His day couldn't get much worse.

"Cyber Crack!" Bass yelled as the launched his white orb at the beast.

"Hell's Rolling! M-Buster Rake!" Megaman called as he launched several purple wheels at Gospel and followed up with several rapid fire shots.

The beast stumbled back as the blasts hit him again. These pests sure where annoying. However, as the smoke cleared, he saw a green navi where the pink one had stood before. The virus beast took a step forward, though was confused by the cracking noise he had heard. Apparently, the power from the two hits had forced him to press too hard on the ground.

Roll only smirked, "Gaia Break!" As her palm hit the ground, vines came up from the ground and grabbed hold of the panels. In one move, the remaining parts of the ground began to open up with holes. With only strands left the hold his weight, the floor caved in. Gospel only roared as it fell into the dark abyss. Perhaps to meet up with Judgeman if he hadn't been deleted already.

Megaman and Roll sighed in relief as Bass merely turned to leave. Before he jacked out he looked towards Megaman and Roll, "Remember you two. Whatever happens, I will be the one to delete you. No one else has the right." He said before disappearing into data and leaving the network to go who knew where.

Megaman looked at Roll with an eyebrow raised, "Do I even want to know?"

Roll laughed, "You probably won't…but I'll tell you anyway. It's either that or Lan's probably going to get you to lecture me about not breaking into SciLab."

Megaman rolled his eyes as the Bass Cross dissipated and Lan and Mayl jacked them out. "Why would I…you did what!"

"Nothing!"

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Update: Friday

Ghost: *Looks at outline* I remember this story being better...for once, final thoughts on a story from me next time. Ghost501 logging out.


	17. Chapter 17

**Mainstream DN Contest: Deadline: January 11th, 2015**

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**Review Responses:**

**terrtasha: **Happy time! Yay! *claps for some odd reason...don't know, feeling immature*

**Lucario:** BTW, nice name. My current main for Smash Bros. XD Any, the legendary Bass Cross has indeed come back into play and Circusman deserves it! I'm not bitter because of that stupid animal cage he'd trap me in until I die!

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**Day 9 - Roll Call: Misery Knocking**

Void wasn't sure what to think when he woke up. All he knew was that that device in him was messing with him. It was trying to change his core data, at least he thought it was what it was doing. He couldn't really tell between the phasing in and out of consciousness. All he knew was that after Dawn had gotten the files and had returned him back to base, he had been knocked down and strung up like some kind of puppet. Even now, she wasn't looking at him. Only studying that stupid project he had gotten for her. He was nothing more than a means to an end. Funny, it appeared that maybe Mortis had gotten the better death out of the two of them. He wouldn't be awake to see what the woman would do to their data.

Dawn smirked as she began to go through Dr. Hikari's notes. What a brilliant young scientist he had been in his early days. And what a lovely tool for what she was going to do next. She didn't need to know how to make the ultimate net navi. She just needed to know the steps. And then, everything else would fall into alignment. Funny, the very thing they had thought would make their lives easier would be the very thing that would kill them all in the end. Just like they had done to each person she had ever loved. Minus her son.

No, they would never find out what happened. Dawn Silverlight had been dead for so many years. There was no way she could have survived a fourteen foot fall onto the pavement. Truth was, she almost hadn't. Consider it luck that she snagged on a couple of wires on the way down that killed her fall speed. The impact had knocked her straight into unconsciousness. She had died for a few minutes. Then, like a cruel fisherman, life decided to bring her back into existence and set her on a new path. She never really patched how she had managed to get out of that facility; though later she had discovered that her son had managed to make it seem like they had buried a body just so that the family could forget about her. In a sense, she was happy for it. Now, it gave her opportunity. She would kill them all. Every last one who didn't save them. Who didn't stop this chaotic technological world from spiraling out of control. She would show them just how wrong they really were. If only her son was still alive to be part of the crowd; too bad he died of a heart attack a few years ago.

She had already made her mark twice. The third time was the killer. The third time was the final roll. The third time was when she got lucky and threw nothing but sixes. The brunette woman smiled as she glanced over Megaman's designs yet again. In the end, Megaman really was just as foolish as a human. She wondered, could he even imagine just what would come next?

A laugh came out of her mouth, she could. And boy, did she like it.

* * *

"I still can't believe that Roll tried to…you know," Hub said, not getting into the details. They were in the very building that she had tried to break into. Many were skeptical about the navi's sudden recovery. However, as much as SciLab wanted to, they couldn't find a connection between the Hikaris and Megaman's recovery. So, they had no choice but to let go of the case. Questioning the family might only raise more questions and draw attention to them. Attention that they were trying to keep away.

"Trust me, you're not the only one. I can't believe that Mayl even allowed her to leave her network like that. But you know, she always did prefer the blue ribbon after Dr. Itumi showed it to her," Lan smirked as they continued to walk. They had decided to call Roll's break in a bad hair day for the navi when around SciLab. Apparently, Roll had tried something absolutely crazy to redesign her hair and it ended in some kind of debacle. Why Mayl let her out like that was beyond the minds of anyone, but hey. She had fixed it now, so no need to pursue it.

"Yeah, I guess." Hub mused. The blue ribbon, of course, was a code for referring to him. Though if he thought about it, he really shouldn't have been surprised. Emotions were a human concept that gave large degrees of unpredictability. In fact, her trying to take matters into her own hands was actually extremely predictable.

The "young man" sighed as he stared down the hallway. His brother turned and saw the unsure look he was making, "Nervous?" Lan asked.

"Something like that," Hub said. He had a pretty good feeling he knew what his father wanted to meet about. Especially after what had happened to him was explained. At least he finally realized why he couldn't breathe whenever he thought back to his days of a human baby.

"Hey, look on the bright side. At least you didn't have to corner him," Lan joked. Though he mentally berated himself for how mean the comment was towards his father.

Hub raised an eyebrow, "You cornered him? How the heck did you manage that?" Very rarely did his father ever get boxed into a corner that he wasn't somehow able to get out of. The years of knowing and living with him told him that.

"I'll tell you later," Lan said as Hub turned in front of him and realized that they were at the elevator. His brother gave him a thumbs up, "It'll be fine. Trust me."

Trust Lan. Hub smiled. That was something he had always been able to do. Whatever happened, his brother had always been there for him through the thick and thin. Always risking his neck for him whenever he could. Yeah, trusting Lan. Easy enough.

"Got it. I'll see you later Lan." Hub said as he pressed the elevator button.

Lan nodded his head as his brother stepped in, "Oh! Remember that you've only got about two hours left in that thing!"

"Relax! Unlike you, I actually remember these things!" Hub joked as Lan's rebuttle was cut off by the closing doors. The brunette took a breath. Now, it was time to hear the whole truth. And then, he could decide on what to do after. He wasn't a being to hold grudges. It didn't make sense too. But, at least he could sleep a little better knowing that there were no more secrets to worry about. That now, the sole focus could be Void and CHAOS. And that, was something he could work with.

As the elevator dinged, Hub stepped through. Well, this was going to be a very interesting father son talk.

* * *

Ghost: *gags* There is something up with BN and the #4. I remember back in...did I write the first chapters of this in February?! Anyway, I remember it being more exciting and gut wrenching...not...not this. Huh, in terms of quality I think 4 is probably been my lowest point. Seems kinda...I don't know rushed? Maybe I was rushing? I don't remember anymore. Well, to everyone I'm sorry bout this. It seemed like it started off well and somehow I lost my sense of pace in this story. Maybe it was the break in between projects of "3.5", Disconnect, and this but I'm going to make sure that this crap won't happen for 5. I really hate the fact there wasn't a 3 part day at all in this thing. *sighs*

So, officially there are two more DNs left in terms of what I'm contracting myself for. Double Network 5: Data Crash and Double Network Epilogue: Soul Eclipse. DN5 has been started and DNE still needs an outline put together.

So yeah, I'm a tad sad that DN is ending but I will also announce that I'm on another co-authored project with a good FFN friend of mine which is BN related. Anyway, hope you've at least somewhat enjoyed yourself in DN4. If you didn't completely, well can't really blame anyone but me for that. Anyway, Ghost501 logging out and I'll see you all in the final DN.

DN5 Release Date: February 13th 2015 (Cause of of now, there are only a few chapters written. ^_^;)

Final Merge/Cross Contest Deadline: January 11th 2015


End file.
